Followers of the Path
by bubbajack
Summary: YAHF. Xander woke up the day after Halloween looking at a screen asking him to hit the 'X' at the bottom of it. Saying he had been chosen to walk The Path... 'What the fuck? Since when was my life been a videogame' Gamer-Xander Xander/Harem Multicross story. Rated M, for Blood, Gore, and possible Lemons in the future.
1. Chapter 1

**The Followers of the Path**

**By: Bubbajack**

**Beta: IcySnowSage**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS, DnD, Pathfinder, or any other game mechanic based work that makes it into this fic. Be they LN, Anime, or Korean Comic of some sort.**

**Ch.1: Steep Learning Curve.**

* * *

'_Okay…'_ Xander thought to himself as he started at a screen floating a foot from his face which said, "**Welcome to** **the Path. We here at Janus industries hope you enjoy your experience [Player], and welcome to the Janus Industries Family."**

'_This is new, but not the weirdest thing I've come across on the Hellmouth,' _Xander decided.

"**To continue, please tap the X at the bottom of the screen,"** Another message prompted.

"What happens if I hit the X, will I be signing my soul away or something?" Xander asked no one in particular.

"**No, but we can't explain what's going on if you don't dumbass,"** The Path retorted.

Xander quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, snarky huh? I don't hate that. Ok Path, let's see what your offering," Xander hit the X at the bottom of the screen.

"**Congratulations on being able to complete a basic motor function as well as follow simple instructions like a common ape. Your distant simian ancestors would be **_**so **_**proud of you if they could see you now, I'm sure."**

Xander rolled his eyes and snorted before he rolled out of bed. "Get to the point, jackass."

"**Point is, you are now the [Player] and can level up like a video game character."**

"Shit… seriously?" Xander asked.

"**Seriously," **The Path said, "**To see your current stats, say Stats."**

"Stats?" Xander said aloud. Causing a new screen to pop up.

**Stat Sheet:**

**Name:** Alexander 'Xander' Levlle Harris

**Race:** Human (Male)

**Level: **5

**Class:** Survivor (5)

**Starting Stats:**

**STR: **13 bonus of +1

**DEX: **12 bonus of +1

**CON:** 11 bonus of 0

**INT:** 10(-2) bonus of -1

**WIS: **16(-2) bonus of +2

**CHA: **15(-2) bonus of +1

**HP:** 110

**Mana:** 100

**Movement Speed:** 10 ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 65kg/143lbs

**AC:** 11

Xander stared at the Stat Sheet for a moment then said aloud, "This is Dungeons and Dragons. Like seriously… you're totally ripping them off."

"**Any supposed affiliations to existing games will summarily be noted and ignored by the [Player]," **The Path replied promptly.

Xander shook his head and grinned. "Fuck you too buddy," He then asked, "So you gonna explain how this works or…" He was suddenly bombarded with information in pop up screens.

**Indeed with tomatoes since it seems your intelligence is just average.**

**STR: **The measure of your physical might. Ex: throwing a tomato at a bad performance

**DEX: ** The measure of your agility or dodging. Ex: Dodging a rotten tomato

**CON:** Your endurance to withstand pressure from any source physical. Ex: Withstanding eating a rotten tomato.

**INT:** The measure of your memory and reasoning. Ex: Knowing a tomato is a fruit.

**WIS:** This is your measure of perceiving the world and insight into its secrets. Ex: Knowing that a tomato does not fit in a fruit salad.

**CHA:** the force of your personality. Ex: Convincing someone a tomato is a vegetable.

**HP:** Determined by Con score times ten and the hit die size.

**Movement speed: **Dex Score times five divided 6 = 12 feet per sec.

**Mana bar: **Int+Wis+Cha Scores x 10/3

**Damage Reduction: **Armor Class + Damage reduction given from class

"Gah, Jesus!" Xander swore.

"**He can't help you now,"** The Path told him.

"That's not ominous or anything do I have to hit X on all these screens? It'll kinda stand out if I do that in public you know? Also you must really like tomatoes."

"**You can dismiss screens by merely thinking 'dismiss' or waiting ten seconds and tomatoes are delicious thank you,"** The Path informed him.

"Could've said that the first time," Xander muttered to himself as he got dressed, in his usual garish hawain shirt and long pants.

"**Where would the fun have been in that for me?"** The Path retorted via screen.

'_Dismiss,'_ Xander thought.

"**Now, about your level, as you can see, your already level five and have maxed out the Survivor Class would you like to go over the gained skills from this class?"**

Xander shrugged, "Not sure how I got the Survivor Class but ok."

"**You didn't die on a semi-sealed portal to various Hell Dimensions for over a decade and a half?"** The Path retorted the dryness of its tone could be seen even in text.

Xander paused and nodded, " Okay point. Alright, what does this Survivor Class do. I'm only really familiar with the basic D&D classes."

The info for Survivor popped up on a screen.

**Uncanny Dodge (Ex):** A survivor gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker (he still loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class if immobilized).

At 3rd level, the survivor can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the survivor. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the survivor can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

**Evasion (Ex):** At 2nd level, a survivor gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage (such as a fireball), he takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Evasion can only be used if the survivor wears light armor or no armor.

**Improved Evasion (Ex):** This ability, gained at 4th level, works like evasion, except that while the survivor still takes no damage on a successful Reflex save against spells such as fireball or a breath weapon, he now takes only half damage on a failed save. The survivor's training allows him to get out of harm's way with incredible speed.

**Damage Reduction (Ex):** At 5th level, a survivor gains the ability to shrug off 5 points of damage from each blow or attack. Subtract 5 from the damage the survivor takes each time he is dealt damage. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not less than 0. This damage reduction stacks with any other damage reduction of the "x/—" type

Xander read it over as he made his way into the kitchen trying to scrounge up something to eat. He found some milk that didn't smell expired yet and he found some cereal too, "Damn not bad, not bad at all, at least now I won't be totally thrashed by the vamps."

"**Indeed. Speaking of actual classes would you like to Gestalt Class? This option can only be accepted at the start and if taken will double the EXP required to level up but you will gain the benefits of two classes on each level up. You will have less levels overall but will unlock class bonuses at a faster rate with this path.**

**Yes/No"**

Xander thought about it. He considered calling Giles and telling him something weird was going on with him, that his life had become a cheap knockoff of DnD, but then he considered it. '_Why the hell should I? With this, I can become strong, and useful like Willow is. Like Buffy is. If I told G-man he'd just try and get rid of it, and that wouldn't be doing me any favors… now to this gestalt class thing… if its running on DnD then that means I get an attribute bonus every four levels and depending on the classes I combine I could get a shit ton of feats this way. Not to mention Bonus Feats…'_ Xander decided to ask a question, "Can I Gestalt Class multiple times?"

"**Yes, provided you've unlocked the classes beforehand. Also no need to talk out loud and risk sounding like a crazy person,"** The Path informed him. "**You can do pretty much everything via thought."**

"Cheeky bastard," Xander muttered to himself. Xander weighed the pros and cons to himself as he munched on his breakfast before finally nodding. "Right then."

He clicked the yes button.

"**Congratulations on **_**finally **_**coming to a decision!" **The Path told him in what was clearly faux-cheer. "**By Gestalt Classing you have chosen to take the more difficult path but the rewards will be summarily greater… You have also been granted five attribute points for suriving so long on the Hellmouth due to nothing but sheer dumb luck… might we suggest putting them into INT so as to be smart enough to get the hell out of town?"**

Again, Xander rolled his eyes. He liked this game it was snarky and a bit of a shithead. Just like him. "Ok, so five attribute points to spend, for every two in an attribute I get a plus one bonus if I recall. Xander looked at his base stats and quickly came to a decision. Putting two into Intelligence, one Constitution, one into Strength, and one into Charisma that would give him extra bonuses in everything. Happy with his decision, he confirmed the change and decided to look at this Gestalt Class.

"**New Gestalt Class Unlocked [Fighter/Ranger]"**

Xander blinked in surprise, "Huh,a Fighter Ranger huh? I mean, yeah I used to go bow hunting with dad before the drinking got real bad but… eh, I probably shouldn't question it."

"**No you shouldn't,"** The Path told him.

Xander finished his meal and put his bowl in the sink. "Ok so if I'm a Fighter that means I get a bonus feat at level one, two, and every other level plus every fourth level. So since I'm level six. I got some feats to choose from, don't I?"

"**Correct, but you're technically a level 0 fighter/Ranger at the moment. You do however get Disciplined for free due to being a survivor."**

"What's it do?"

"**Say or think Feats and find out for yourself."**

'Feats," Xander thought to himself.

A screen popped up showing him his chosen feats.

**Disciplined**

**[****Regional, Level 1 only]**

**Lore: **Your people are admired for their single-minded determination and clarity of purpose. You are difficult to distract by spell or blow. Your hardships on the hellmouth combined with fighting possession from a primal hyena spirit allowed your mind to stay focused and unwavering when others would falter.

**Benefit:** You gain a +2 bonus on Will saves and a +2 bonus on Concentration checks.

Xander gave it a once over. '_Okay, can't complain about that. I'm gonna assume that Willpower, Fortitude, and Reflex saves are just things that happen in the background?'_

"**Indeed," **The Path replied.

Xander nodded as he headed out the door, '_Fair enough. So am I gonna get quests and stuff?'_

**Daily Quest: Complete this quest within twenty-four hours or suffer a penalty.**

**Do 100 pushups. 0/100**

**Do 100 sit ups. 0/100**

**Do 100 squats. 0/100**

**Run 10km. 0/10km.**

**Rewards: 4 EXP, and +1 to STR, +1 to DEX every ten successive completions in a row. Limit to 30 in DEX and STR**

**Failure: Penalty Quest.**

'_Okay, I'll bite, what's a penalty quest?' _Xander thought as he started to run deciding to get some of that ten km in before school.

The Path was quick to explain, "**A penalty quest is similar in scope to an ex-cleric or paladin going on pilgrimage to atone for affronting his deity. Failure to complete the daily quest will result in the player needing to undertake a difficult trial in order to continue to walk The Path."**

Xander too a moment to digest this before nodding. "Okay, bring it on Mister Programmer. Challenge accepted."

Xander proceeded to run to school, ready to take the game his life had become by the horns.

**~FotP~**

Willow had been watching Xander closely ever since he'd arrived, slightly out of breath from _running_ to school of all things. Last night was wiggy. Well, even more wiggy than normal. She'd been turned into a ghost, Buffy's personality did a total one-eighty and she became a damsel in distress, and Xander… well she really had no idea _what_ had happened to him. When the spell hit, she only caught a glimpse of him sprinting off into the night, bow in hand.

He didn't seem any different from her usual Xander-shaped crush, which she was thankful for, yet that left her, and Buffy with so many questions. For a lot of piles of dust had been found the other night with an arrow in the middle of them. Now, neither of them were certain it was Xander but… well it was possible considering the spell had turned all three of them into their costumes. So the two girls watched him closely Yet they didn't notice anything particularly off about him. The only thing Willow took note of was that he seemed more attentive in class than usual. Not that, that was a bad thing in her opinion.

Come lunch, Xander didn't sit with them like he usually did, instead he got what the cafeteria called food and headed towards the doors, going outside. Curious as to what he was up to the hacker and the Slayer followed behind him.

**~FotP~**

"God this food sucks," Xander said to himself as he picked at the rubbery 'salsbury steak' and grey mush called 'mashed potatoes' before shrugging, "Beggars can't be choosy I suppose." Xander wolfed down his food with a grimace and chugged down the carton of milk his meal came with to get the taste out of his mouth.

His 'meal' finished, the boy turned video game protagonist proceeded to check his Feats as since he was level five he should be able to get another one for free, and if it was available, he knew just the one he wanted.

'_Feats,' _he thought before adding, '_Vampire Hunter.' _He grinned with he saw the feat show up.

**Vampire Hunter:**

**Lore: **_Your knowledge of vampires has given you the extraordinary ability to detect subtle signs of their presence and to resist their dominating gaze ability. Your hatred of these undead body stealers grants you a form of power to resist and detect them._

**Benefit:** _You have a sixth sense that unfailingly determines whether a vampire or vampire spawn is within 30 feet of you._

_In addition, you are immune to the dominating gaze ability of vampires and vampire spawn._

'_Wait, _Xander thought, '_Since I'm human, I also get a bonus feat at level one right?'_

"**Correct," **The Path confirmed.

'_Why didn't you tell me?' _Xander complained mentally of course as he started doing push ups.

"**Not my job to hold your hand all the time, this** '_**is'**_ **just the tutorial you know?" **The Path retorted via popup. "**Once it's complete you'll be on your own for the most part."**

Xander was starting to feel the burn in his arms as he replied, "So that's how it is? Well, that's fine. I'll manage."

"**We'll see Player," **The Path said it's tone coming off as slightly mocking. "**But for now, you should check your Status Screen."**

'_Status,' _The teen all but growled in his thoughts.

**On the Hellmouth Debuff:**

**Lore: **Despite years of survival, living on the Hellmouth has some negative effects for you.

**Effect:** _It costs 2x the amount of EXP to Level up while in the vicinity of a hellmouth-_

"What the _fuck_?" Xander swore under his breath before he kept reading.

"_-Additionally, any creature, be it demon,vampire or being of the evil alignment, has its level quadrupled with a plus 2 bonus to all physical stats while any creature of the good alignment takes a penalty to mental stats while on the Hellmouth due to the natural absorption of demonic energies."_

"What kind of fuckery is this?" Xander swore to himself. "So then, because I chose to Gestalt Class I need four thousand EXP to level up even once… bullshit! Straight up bullshit." Xander swore to himself taking into account that apparently the hellmouth also messed with his mental functions.

A popup screen told him he'd completed one hundred pushups, and he proceeded to do squats as he perused through the list of available feats he could choose at level one. He finally chose **Ironwill**, which gave him +2 on his Will saving throws. Having more willpower couldn't hurt. He was pleasantly surprised that thanks to **Ironwill **and **Disciplined** he no longer took a debuff to wisdom.

His legs were burning by the time he got the notification that he'd completed the exercise. He was tempted to start doing the sit ups but held off when he noticed people filing out of the cafeteria, meaning that lunch was over. So he picked up his tray and headed back inside. It was time to stick his nose back to the grindstone.

**~FotP~**

Jennifer Callendar aka Janna Kalderash kept flicking her eyes back and forth from her computer screen to one of her pupils, one Alexander Lavelle Harris. She could see and feel the Chaos Energy rolling off the boy, but he didn't seem to notice it, nor did any of his friends… she was tempted to confront him as she knew _something_ happened last night that involved chaos magic and while some it still clung to some of her students, it practically shined off Alexander like light from a lighthouse.

'_I shouldn't be sticking my nose in this,' _Jenny told herself. '_It's my job to monitor the Accursed One not do something about a potential Janus Worshipper. But, as a teacher, don't I also have a duty to my students as well? Even if it is just a cover?' _The computer teacher asked herself. In the end she nodded to herself, '_I'll ask him what's going on, who knows, maybe I can help.'_

As the bell rang and everyone started to collect their things and head for the door, Jenny called out, "Mr. Harris, if you would stay behind for a moment? There is something I'd like to discuss with you."

Xander turned and gave her a disarming smile. "Sure thing Miss C," He turned to Willow Rosenburg who looked between the two of them worriedly. "Go on Wills, I'll catch up in the next class yeah?"

The redhead nodded meekly, then left. Leaving the two alone Xander approached the desk holding his hands up. "Look Miss C, if this is about that computer project, I swear, I'm working on it."

Jenny shook her head, "No Mr. Harris, it isn't about that."

He held up a hand, his face souring. "Please, call me Xander Miss C. Mr. Harris is my dad, and we… don't get along."

Jenny frowned. "I… see. I'm sorry to hear that Xander. Please call me Jenny then. What I wanted to ask you about was the _strangeness_ of last night."

"Ah, that," Xander rubbed the back of his head as he gave his answer, "I can't really remember much about last night. I know a really weird flash happened and everything becomes pretty hazy after that." He wasn't lying. Xander tried but only recalled a few brief flashes of what happened last night. The sound of a tensing bow string, the scent of steel and oil, the image of a terrified game-faced vamp moments before its head was lopped off… other than that, he couldn't remember anything.

Jenny nodded. "I see. That's all then?"

"Yeah sorry Miss… uh Jenny," Xander quickly corrected.

The older woman pursed her lips as if in thought for a moment before she spoke again. "Is there anything strange going on with you Alexander? Anything at all?"

"Uhh… besides hormones you mean?" Xander said, doing his best to deflect the question with humor.

Jenny giggled, "Yes, Xander, besides teenage hormones."

'_Should I tell her?' _He asked The Path.

"**You now have the option to form a Party. Would you like to send a Party Invite to Jennifer Calendar? Party members have access to leveling, exp gain, and it makes it possible to take on higher level areas then if one was alone,"** The Path declared.

"I'll take that as a yes, send party invite," Xander said under his breath.

"Xander what are you…" She was cut off when a screen like that in a video game popped up in front of her.

"**Greetings Janna of Clan Kalderash. You have been invited to join the party of the [Player], and take part in the Open World Roleplaying Game known as The Path. Do you wish to worship the same deity he now unknowingly finds himself bound to?**

**Yes/No**

**Note: Any attempt to tell the [Player] about his association with said deity will result in immediate and severe consequences. Sincerely, Janus Enterprises."**

Janna said nothing for a moment before she looked to Xander and asked, "What… is this Alexander?"

The teen shrugged and replied, "Welcome to my life as of this morning Jenny."

"So if I click yes… I'll become an RPG character?" the undercover computer teacher asked.

Her student nodded, "Yep, it's based off Dungeon and Dragons mechanics by the way."

Jenny was familiar with the game and sighed with relief, "Ah well that's a reassuring. At least its something familiar."

She tapped yes.

Immediately a bunch of screens popped, she skimmed them then dismissed them as she already knew how DnD functioned. "Okay so how do I check my stats?" She blinked. "Nevermind."

"Just say, or think stats," Xander said with a smirk. "What's yours?"

"**You can see a party members stats at anytime by checking party stats."**

'_Party stats.'_

**Name:** Janna Kalderash

**Race:** Human (Female) Romani Blood

**Level: **10

**Class:** Witch (5), Technomancer (5)

Feats:Spellwise (regional), Skill Focus (knowledge [engineering], Technologist (pathfinder), Accursed Hex (pathfinder), Night Sky Hex (pathfinder)

**Stats:**

**STR: **13 bonus of +1

**DEX: **13 bonus of +1

**CON:** 11 bonus of 0

**INT:** 18(-2) bonus of +3

**WIS: **12(-2) bonus of +0

**CHA: **12(-2) bonus of +0

**HP:** 110

**Mana:** 310

**Movement Speed:** 12 ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 65kg/143lbs

**AC:** 11

Xander looked at the stat sheet and quirked an eyebrow, "Janna Kalderash?"

"I… don't suppose you'd be willing to keep quiet about that, would you?" Jenny asked him pleadingly.

"You keep my secrets, I'll keep yours. This isn't something that's gonna come and bite me in the ass later though is it?" The brown-haired teen asked getting that 'gut feeling' he got whenever something was gonna screw him over. This time it wasn't vamp related.

"I… don't think so?" Jenny replied before deciding if he could trust him her with his secret which apparently was being blessed by a god, she could do the same with hers. "I'm here to monitor Angelus, you know him by his moniker Angel."

Xander immediately became serious as this involved Captain Hairgel. "He was cursed with a soul… I'm guessing your family did the cursing?"

Jenny was impressed he pieced it together so quickly, "We did,almost a century ago now."

"Wow, you Romani can hold a grudge."

"A Rom never forgets Xander… though sometimes, I think it would be for the best if we did," Jenny admitted. She then glanced at the clock and exclaimed, "Oh dear, we've been talking for fifteen minutes! You've missed a quarter of your next class!"

"You don't hear me complaining," Xander retorted. "Getting to talk videogames with a pretty lady? I'd take that over history lessons anyday."

"Charmer. Still, your education is important," She wrote him a note and shooed him out of her class. "So off you go. Come see me after school and we'll talk more about… all of this."

"Yes ma'am. See you soon," Xander sprinted off to his next class leaving a perplexed Romani in his wake.

**~FotP~**

Willow kept trying to get his attention all throughout history class but Xander kept ignoring her. Instead he did something he usually didn't. He paid attention in class and took notes. Xander wanted to test and see if he did this if it would give him a rank in a history skill. '_Probably not but Jenny is right, it wouldn't hurt for me to actually give a shit about my grades I suppose.'_

He didn't get a skill rank up by the end of class like he'd hoped, but then again, he knew it was a long shot to begin with. Once he collected his things he was going to head back to the computer lab, only to be sandwiched between a faux-blonde and a redhead, both of whom grabbed one of his arms and forcibly steered him towards the library.

"Umm ladies, not that I'm not happy to see you both but we've got this thing called personal space, and your kinda invading mine," Xander complained.

"Quiet buster," Willow told him. "Something's going on with you and we wanna know what's up."

Buffy nodded right along with her, "Yeah, your acting very… unXanderlike."

"Oh really? So I can't suddenly give a shit about my grades? Is that what this is all about?"

"And paying attention in class," Willow added.

Buffy hammered the final nail in the coffin, "You were even exercising during lunch, we saw you out in the courtyard."

Xander waited for a pair of seniors to pass them by before he spoke. "Okay firstly, Buff. Vampires try to kill us every night. Of course I'm gonna try and get my ass in shape. I don't wanna end up as some fledgling's midnight snack."

Buffy would rather Xander didn't fight vampires at all. He was the _normal one _damnit! Couldn't he see how _lucky_ he was that he didn't have to kill demons and zombies and vampires? '_But no, he just has to keep coming out night after night… not that I don't appreciate the support, but I'd appreciate it a hell of a lot more if I knew he was safe at home,' _Buffy didn't say any of this though, instead she said, "Well, I guess you have a point there, it wouldn't hurt to be in shape, you'll be able to run away quicker if the vamps get past me."

"What about you suddenly paying attention in class then?" Willow inquired, not so easy to convince as the Slayer.

Xander ignored the sting to his manly pride as he answered Willow, "Miss C gave me a stern talking to after class. She said if I didn't get my grades up soon, I might have to repeat this year."

Willow's eyes bugged out, "Oh no!"

Xander nodded. "Yeah but don't worry, she was kind enough to offer to tutor me. I'm _supposed _to be meeting her right now but you two decided to make a Xander sandwich."

The two girls stopped just outside the entrance to the library. Then looked at one another before nodding and letting go of their Xander-shaped friend. "Sorry Xander," Willow apologized. She didn't want her crush to be held back a grade because she was being paranoid.

"Yeah our bad. Good luck with the tutoring though," Buffy told him honestly, while secretly pleased as this would keep Xander out of the line of fire of many a vampire. Oh if he only knew

"Thanks, you're the best friends the son of two barely functioning alcoholics could have," Xander said giving the two a hug before he rushed off.

Buffy blinked and scrunched her brow up in consternation. "Was he joking just then or..?"

"No," Willow said shaking her head sadly. "Xander's homelife isn't… all that great."

Buffy looked downcast, "Poor Xan, he has a shitty homelife, and he's going out and killing vamps with me? Now I kinda feel worse."

"It's not your fault Buffy, it's been going on since… since forever. If it's any consolation he really likes being around you and your mom. He really likes her cooking. His mom, as you can imagine, doesn't do that much."

This caused the Slayer to smile a bit. "My mom _is_ awesome," Buffy bragged just a little. "C'mon let's go see who we've gotta go stake tonight."

**~FotP~**

Xander knocked before he entered the computer lab for the second time that day. He found Jenny, '_Is it really okay for me to call her Jenny?'_ Xander asked himself, Sitting at her desk.

"Hey," she greeted upon seeing him arrive "I didn't know if you were going to show Alexander."

"Sorry got held up by a couple of friends," Xander apologized. "Like literally, they tried to hold me up and drag me to the library."

Jenny seemed amused by his misfortune if the smile was anything to go by. "Miss Rosenberg and Miss Summers I presume?"

Xander nodded, "Yes. Do you happen to know what the Slayer is?"

Jenny nodded, "Yes, a Chosen One always female meant to fight… one of your friends?" she asked in realization.

"Buffy," Xander affirmed.

"So that would make Giles her Watcher then," Jenny guessed.

"Yep, just thought you should know before you get too involved with the G-man, what with your closeness to Angel after all," Xander said.

Jenny gave a bitter smile. "Thank you for your concern, I'll… I'll need to think about it. But we're not here to talk about my love life, we're here to talk about the fact that our lives have become a videogame or rather, yours has, against your will, I might add."

"There are worse things that could've been done to me against my will," The teen replied with a shrug, thinking back to his brief stint being possessed by a hyena spirit.

"True," Jenny conceded. "But let's get down to brass tacks shall we?"

"Sure also if anyone asks, your tutoring me so I don't fail my classes… hey, I needed an excuse to come see you regularly. It sounded pretty good to me," Xander defended upon seeing the _look_ the older woman was giving him.

"It'll do I suppose. So you're a Gestalt class huh?"

"Yep, what about you? What did you put your points into?"

"Arcane knowledge, Spellcraft, Bluff, Engineering and Use Magic Device mostly. You?"

Xander raised a finger and said "I… haven't spent mine yet, actually."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Well, if I might make a suggestion? Put a fair bit of points into Hide, Move Silently, Listen and Spot checks then in Dungeoneering. Since those are your primary skills."

"Fair point. Skills," He said bringing up the skills menu."

**Skills (Immune to Hellmouth debuff due to Feats in WIS)**

**Climb rank: 0+2(bonus STR)= 2**

**Concentration rank: 0+3 (bonus CON plus DIsciplined feat)= 3**

**Craft: 0+0(bonus INT)= 0**

**Handle animal: 0+3(Bonus CHA)= 3**

**Heal: 0+3(bonus WIS)= 3**

**Hide: 3+1(bonus DEX)= 4**

**Jump: 0+2(bonus STR)= 2**

**Knowledge (planes): 4 +0(bonus INT)= 4**

**Listen: 5+3(bonus Wis)= 8**

**Move Silent: 3+1(bonus DEX)= 4**

**Profession: 0+3(bonus WIS)= 3**

**Ride: 0+1(bonus DEX)= 1**

**Search: 0+0(bonus INT)= 0**

**Spot: 5+3(bonus WIS)= 8**

**Survival: 5+3(bonus WIS)= 8**

**Swim: 0+2(bonus STR)= 2**

**Use Rope: 0+1(bonus DEX)= 1**

**Ranks remaining 52**

"Jesus that's a lot of ranks," Xander said to himself after looking everything over he came to a decision. "Wisdom for the win."

**Climb rank: 0+2 (bonus STR)= 2**

**Concentration rank: 0+3 (bonus CON plus DIsciplined feat)= 5**

**Craft: 0+0(bonus INT)= 0**

**Handle animal: 0+3(Bonus CHA)= 3**

**Heal: 10+3(bonus WIS)= 13**

**Hide: 12+1(bonus DEX)= 13**

**Jump: 0+2(bonus STR)= 2**

**Knowledge (planes): 4 +0(bonus INT)= 4**

**Listen: 12+3 (bonus Wis)= 15**

**Move Silent: 13+1(bonus DEX)= 14**

**Profession:0 +3(bonus WIS)= 3**

**Ride: 0+1(bonus DEX)= 1**

**Search: 9+0(bonus INT)= 9**

**Spot: 12+3(bonus WIS)= 15**

**Survival: 5+3(bonus WIS)= 8**

**Swim: 0+2(bonus STR)= 2**

**Use Rope: 0+1(bonus DEX)= 1**

"That'll do… though next time I level up I'm putting more points into Survival," Xander said to himself more than Jenny.

"I'm surprised you gave so many skills tens," Jenny commented. "I thought you would've spaced it out more."

"You put all of yours into five skills, shut up… I mean, don't judge me for my decisions Miss C. Not cool," Xander backpedaled upon remembering who he was talking to.

Jenny giggled at his faux-pas, "No need to be so uptight Alex, do you mind if I call you that?"

"Most of my friends call me Xander?" The teen replied.

"Are most of your friends being drawn into real life RPGs too?" Jenny asked eyebrow quirked in askance.

"No Jen just you… for now."

The computer teacher smiled, "Good then Alex it is then, and you can call me Jen or Jenny when its not during school hours. Agreed?"

Xander smiled, for a teacher in this hellish nine to five prison called school she was pretty cool. "Fair enough Jen, I do have one question though?"

The Romani smiled a bit. "Yes?"

"How _are_ my grades doing at the moment? I'm genuinely curious."

Janna of the Kalderash shook her head. "Well, let's have a look, then we can go find a quest."

"Oh that reminds me, I need to do a hundred sit ups and finish a ten km run… how far is ten km anyway?"

Jenny blinked in astonishment . "Xander… that's six miles."

"What…? Oh bullshit! C'mon that's not fair! Uh sorry, pardon my French there. It's just that this game wants me to do that _every day_?!"

"It's a daily quest? Is it giving any kind of reward?" Jenny asked.

Slumping Xander replied, "Well, every ten days in a row I complete it I get a plus one to my Strength and Dexterity."

Jenny got up from her desk, "I'd do it if I were you. Attribute gains don't come along everyday. I'll do it with you if you like?"

"Umm you really don't need to do that," The teen said while his hormones really didn't mind the idea of her getting all hot and sweaty with him around, but his chivalry certainly did.

"No it's fine. I saw you during lunch doing pushups and squats I even noticed you running to school this morning. I haven't gotten this quest yet, but I'm assuming I'll get it tomorrow or something similar to it anyway."

"Do you always keep such a close eye on your students?" Xander couldn't help but ask.

"Just the cute ones I find with wooden stakes in their bags," Jenny said giving him a pointed look.

Xander flushed and looked away, "I'm not sure if I should feel flattered that you called me cute or embarrassed over the fact you saw the stake I keep in my backpack."

"I'm flattered that your flattered. Now, are we going for a run and possibly looking for a vampire den?" Jenny asked grabbing her coat.

"I guess we can, but I have like, no gear except for a single stake in my bag."

"Alex, I have magic. I looked it up and we as a party, share experience points for kills equally."

"Huh cool but here's a thought. We stop by one of the many local churches and get some blessed weapons Jen?"

Jenny nodded, "A good idea. No reason to go into a fight half baked. Any church in particular you'd like to go to or…?"

"Well there was the guy who presided over Willows Bat Mitzvah. Rabbi Joseph is his name was. I remember him 'cause he treated me really nicely. Gave me a well, not a rosary but the jewesh equivalent, said it would keep me safe. Didn't know at the time how right he was."

"Star of David?" Jenny supplied for him.

"Yeah, believe it or not, Willow may be Jewish, but her folks are hardly around so you'd never know it," Xander replied as they walked into the parking lot and into the woman's car. Before Jen could even put the key in the ignition a quest alert popped in front of both of them.

**Purge the Damned. (Repeatable Quest)**

**For too long your town has suffered under the plague of undeath. Kill ten vampires before the sun rises to help aid your fellow townsfolk from their unknowing terrors of the night.**

**Reward: 40 xp per vampire slain plus 50 xp bonus for every extra slain**

**0/10 Vampires Slain**

**Failure: None just you have to live with the guilt that someone else was taken by the vampiric scourge.**

"Well so much for going back to your place for a nice candlelit dinner," Xander joked.

"Another time perhaps. It seems we've got other plans tonight," Jenny said before she turned the key, bringing her car to life and drove into the sunset.

**~FotP~**

The synagogue wasn't too far from Xander's house he found out. He noted its location and made sure to come back here in case he was ever in need of holy water or blessed stakes. From said thought, he brought the one stake he had in his bag out, and tucked it into his waistband as he got out of Jen's car. The temple was quiet and mostly dark. The pews were empty, but there were a few candles lit here and there, showing someone was here.

"Hello?" Xander called out to the mostly empty temple. "Rabbi Joseph, you home?"

"I am, just a moment," An elderly man came from the back room, his face covered in grey and white stubble with one of those little hats on his head. Xander couldn't recall what they were called at the moment, but he knew they had something to do with the Jewish faith. That, and rye bread. He knew both were important, that, and the fancy candelabra. Menora, that was it.

"Can I help you? The rabbi asked coming to a stop before the two.

In response, Xander asked, "Do you do blessings Rabbi?"

The man nodded. "I do indeed young man… you look familiar. Have we met before?"

"Alexander Lavelle Harris sir, you presided over my friend Willows Bat Mitzvah oh, four years ago now?"

The Rabbi pointed a finger at him and smiled. "Ah yes, I remember you now. Such an inquisitive young lad you were asking so many questions. I gave you a Star if I recall correctly?"

"Yes sir, I've still got it in my room back home," Xander replied.

"You should wear it," The priest gently admonished while looking out a window at the setting rays of the sun. "It'll keep you safe especially in this town."

Xander shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to risk losing a gift. I've been given so few," The young man said by way of explanation.

The Rabbi clapped Xander on the shoulder and smiled. "You're a good kid Alex. But faith does a man good when it's always with him. Not just left at the hearth. Now, you asked about blessings do you and this lady need one? Your not… expecting are you?"

"Wait what? No, God no!" Xander denied freaking out more over the fact that the priest thought he could even get a woman to look his way in the first place, much less an older woman like Jenny. '_I mean, in my dreams maybe, but only there,' _Xander pulled the stake out of his waistband. "This is what needs blessing."

The kohen looked at the carved stake for a moment. "I… I see wait here a moment."

The kohen went to the back and came back out carrying a large traveling suitcase. He placed it on one of the pews and spoke, "Before I was a Rabbi, I too fought the darkness like you are now Alexander." The man flipped the latches on the case open revealing the interior. Inside the suitcase were several silver lined hunting knives, a handful of smaller wooden stakes that looked like they were meant to be thrown, and laying at the bottom, disassembled was a compound bow, with several silver tipped arrows set into the bottom of the case. The Rabbi looked to Xander. "I do believe this will serve you well," He then reached into his coat and pulled out what looked like an old weathered journal. "As will this."

"What is it?" Xander asked taking the book from the man.

"**Item Gained: Hunters Codex I. You have gained a skill book. Read it to gain a bonus to a skill or skills."**

Joseph replied, "It is all the knowledge I've gained during my life hunting creatures of the night. Perhaps it'll be of use to you."

The teen smiled, "I'm sure it will sir, as will all this."

Joseph calmly inquired, "Do you know how to use a bow?"

Xander gave a devilish smile, "You could say I'm an old hand at it."

The holy man took his word for it. "I'll bless that stake for you if you want me too, but my old things were consecrated a long time ago and their power still holds. Trust me, I've tested it."

'_I always did wonder why some nights we would go out on patrol and find nothing. Now I know,' _The teen thought to himself. "I think I'll stick with yours all things considered."

Xander started taking the weapons out and found leather holsters for everything. The knives went around his waist, the throwing stakes attached to arm guards on his wrists and the bow came with a quiver that had room for more than the dozen arrows it now carried.

"You look ready, but for my own peace of mind, might I say a blessing for you both anyway?"

The two would be hunters shared a look and shrugged. "Go Joe," Xander said after a moment.

"Lay us down to sleep in peace, Adonai our God, and raise us up, our King, to life; spread over us the shelter of Your peace. Guide us with Your good counsel, and save us for the sake of Your Name. Shield us from foe, plague, sword, famine and anguish. Remove wrongdoing from before us and behind us, and shelter us in the shadow of Your wings. For it is You, O God, Who protects and rescues us; it is You, O God, Who are our gracious and compassionate King. Safeguard our coming and our going, to life and to peace from now to eternity."

"I'll admit, I'm not Jewish, but that sounded badass,"Xander complimented once it was done.

Joseph smiled. "Thank you Alexander, now go, live up to your name as you have been, and continue to be, the protector of mankind."

Xander snapped off a salute, "Sir yes sir, a dozen or so dead vamps coming right up in the name of God, amen." He looked to the suitcase. "Should I just come back for the rest later or?"

"Alex sweetie," Jenny said, "I have a car, remember?"

"Oh right car," He pushed the lid closed. "To the car! Then to the slayage!"

The teen raced out of the Temple, suitcase in hand.

"Your going to have your hands full with him," Joseph noted.

Jenny just smiled. "He's a sweet boy really."

"The way you two interact reminds me of myself and my wife," Joseph said fondly.

"R-Really?" Janna said surprised. "How… how old were you when you?"

"I was eighteen, she was in her early twenties when we first met… do you know why I became a Hunter Miss Kalderash?"

For the second time today, Janna had been called by her last name. Yet she didn't react she just shook her head. "No."

"My wife was killed by a vampire. I haven't seen my Andrea in… oh, almost thirty years now. But the fifteen I spent with her were the best of my life."

"What was your wife's maiden name if you don't mind my asking?" Janna asked as a sense of foreboding building in the pit of her stomach.

"Kalderash, Andrea Kalderash Joseph. I helped her understand hatred will only hold her back," as he said this Janna noticed a number tattooed on his arm. A look of horror and understanding appeared on her face.

"After all, if I can forgive the Germans for everything they took from me. Andreea believed she could forgive Angel and let go of her clans' hatred. Alas that did not save her from the monsters who do not hide what they are," Rabbi Joseph finished while giving Jana a look of pleading to do what was right and let go of her clans' agenda against Angel.

."I would if I could but I've been sent here for a reason, sir. If it was up to me, I'd leave Angel alone but…" Janna shrugged. "It's not up to me."

"We all have our crosses to bear," The man said knowingly. "Just know that if it gets too heavy, there are others here to help carry the load."

Janna nodded, "Thank you sir, for everything."

"Good luck Janna and know that tonight, you do God's work."

**~FotP~**

Jenny and Xander drove around waiting for Xander's vampire sense to go off. After about twenty minutes, it finally did. Near an abandoned two story house. The windows were covered in black plastic bags, and various graffiti was spray painted painted on the walls. Right before the two were about to get out of the car, a message popped up in front of Janna

"**Warning: You have not yet chosen a familiar and are about to enter a combat zone. It is highly suggested you do so now. Would you like to choose a familiar now?**

**Yes/No?"**

Janna clicked yes and looked at the very short list of available options.

**Fey Dragon- A small blue dragon with butterfly wings.**

**Caypup- A young hound from the Feywilds. ****This large, regal canine looks like a juvenile mastiff. It has red fur and vibrant blue eyes.**

**Lyrakien Azata- ****This tiny woman has a lithe form with delicate butterfly wings. She is surrounded by sparkling lights and gentle rainbow arcs.**

**Pseudo Dragon- ****This housecat-sized miniature dragon has fine scales, sharp horns, wicked little teeth, and a tail tipped with a barbed stinger.**

Janna went with the obvious choice that wouldn't stick out like a house on fire. Moments later a two foot tall copper red dog appeared on her lap with an audible _pop_. Just from the feel of him he couldn't weigh more than eighty pounds and he looked up at her and wagged his tail, panting happily. His bright blue eyes shining.

Then, it spoke.

"Hullo Mum."

"You can talk," Janna said surprised and pleasantly pleased it sounded like a british chap.

"Course I kin talk, you kin talk can't ya Mum?"

Xander grinned as he scratched the "little" pups ears. "It' almost like he's trying to speak. Who's a good boy huh? Who's a good boy?"

"I'll be whatever you want as long as you keep scratchin' my ears like that govna'," The pup told Xander in English that he clearly couldn't understand.

"He needs a name, you can't just go around calling him dog," Xander said

"Too right I do," The Caypup agreed. "So, what'll it be Mum?"

Janna gave it a moment's thought, "Umm, how about… Cavall?"

"Cavall eh? Has a nice ring to it, I right like that," the Caypup said, wagging his tail to show his joy. "Where'd you come up with that?"

"Nice one Jen, where did you get that from though?"

"I asked first," Cavall said given Xander a look that to him looked adorable.

Jenny just chuckled and replied, "It's the name of King Arthur's hunting hound in some of the more obscure Welsh myths."

"Cool," Both Xander and Cavall said at once. "You ready for this Jen?" Xander asked.

The technopagan nodded, "Ready as I'll ever be."

Xander grinned. "Then let's do this. We're gonna start by going real quiet like and once that inevitably fails we break out the big guns. Savvy? Whatever happens don't let em get close to you. You're a spellcaster so you're kinda squishy."

Jenny couldn't help but note how their roles had been reversed from earlier this morning. Now _she_ was the student and _he_ was the teacher. "Right."

Cavall growled, "If they get too close I'll just bite their bits off, yeah?"

"Good dog, who's gonna keep Jen safe from the vamps, you are. So let's get hunting everyone," Xander said getting the idea that the pup would protect Jenny.

**~FotP~**

The group of three crept towards the house, Xander making use of his Hide ability to sneak as close as he could to the front door. He then tried the handle and found it was unlocked. '_Stupid undead didn't bother to lock the door.'_ he thought as he drew a silver hunting knife with one hand and motioned Jenny and Cavall forward with the other.

The trio scoped out the livingroom and funnily enough found nothing. Cavall sniffed the air then pointed towards the kitchen silently, prompting the teen to give a silent nod as he moved quiet as a ghost into the next room. In the kitchen, he found a vamp rummaging through the fridge. His back was turned to Xander and he was completely unaware.

Not one to waste an opportunity, the teen rushed forward and stabbed the blade of his silver knife home into the vampire's heart, dusting it instantly.

"**+65 EXP," **A popup said in his peripheral vision Followed by "**Quest Update 1/10 Vampires Slain."**

He also noted the weapon didn't dust when the vampire did. '_These really are blessed,'_ Xander thought as he moved towards the basement steps where he thought the vampire had come from and his vampire detection pinged multiple times. '_Six downstairs, three above.' _

Xander pointed up and then held up three fingers, then pointed down and held up a hand then a finger before pointing down. Getting the message, Jenny pointed up first. Xander nodded better to take care of the easier threat first. The small group made their way upstairs, Xander pushing open doors and checking them one by one. What they found in one of the rooms made them grimace. A woman handcuffed to a bed completely drained of blood. Her eyes wide open and her face stuck in a horrified visage. Janna saw Xander tighten his grip on his knife so much his knuckles turned white. She gently touched his arm silently giving him support, while also urging him to move on. Cavall released a low growl showing he too was displeased. Xander stalked throughout the house, full of righteous fury. He pushed open another door to find a vamp feeding on another innocent with his back to them. Xander abandoned all pretense of stealth and ran at the undead, burying his blessed silver weapon in its back before it could react. He missed the heart but still wounded it quite a bit. Drawing the second knife as he tumbled on the ground with the possessed corpse, Xander stabbed up and under its jaw so it couldn't call for help, stabbing the demon through its mouth and from their its brain. He then pulled his first knife out of its back and stabbed it in the heart, ending it.

"**+65 EXP"**

"**Quest Updated: 2/10 Vampires Slain."**

He was drawn to the sound of clinking metal. The woman on the bed was looking at him with shocked half glazed over eyes. Wasting no time Xander stabbed the tip of the knife into the keyhole of her handcuffs and wiggled it around, quickly undoing one arm, then freeing the other and repeating the procedure with her legs. He then hauled her to her feet but her legs were like jelly from the blood loss. He looked to Jenny or Janna, whatever she chose to call herself and asked, "Can you get her outside while I deal with the last one up here?"

Jana nodded. "Can do, just don't go downstairs without me alright?"

"I won't as long as you hurry," the teen replied in a serious tone.

With a worried look accompanied by a swift nod, Jana pulled the woman to her and started maneuvering her down the hallway towards the steps, while Xander searched the remaining rooms for survivors and the last vamp. He knew the room the last one was in was at the end of the hall on his right, so Xander checked the door on his left first.

He found a bathroom with a torn up corpse in the bathtub. That just caused his fury to burn hotter than ever. Finding a pair of ripped up and bloodied pants he searched them and found a wallet. No ID but there was a hundred dollars in cash. Xander pocketed it. This poor soul couldn't use it anymore anyway.

"**+$100."**

He then made his way into the final room at the end of the hall. He readied his bow this time, drawing it taut before he abruptly kicked the door in. The brutish looking vamp in the room looked up from the bed where he was feeding game-faced, only to get a silver arrow between his eyes. Dusting him.

"**+65 EXP. Quest Updated: 3/10 Vampires Slain."**

Xander heard a light _thunk _of something hitting the floor, and moved forward to investigate. In the dim light of the hallway, a small bag lay on the floor next to the bed.

"**Enemies will often drop loot when slain. Don't forget to pick up item drops,"** A popup window randomly said.

'_Note to self, go back to the other dusted vamps and look for drops,'_ Xander thought to himself. Hearing a noise from downstairs Xander drew another arrow and pressed it up against his bowstring. Yet didn't draw. Instead he slowly moved backwards into the room since there was no better place to make a standoff point than the one that gave him a clear shot at the end of the hall.

He glanced at the woman chained to the bed. She was topless and her eyes were already filming over. She was clearly gone. Since his vampire sense wasn't going off, it meant she hadn't been turned. He placed his arrow back in his quiver so he could close her eyes. She deserved that much. Xander silently hoped that vamp had just been feeding off of her when she passed, but considering vampires lack of inhibitions he knew it was a vain hope. It seems this night is eye opening in more ways than one.

Seeing a shadow pop up on the wall down the hall, Xander quickly nocked an arrow and pulled his bow to a full draw.

When a man came around the corner, he loosened.

"Hey Chad what the hell was tha…" The vampire didn't get to finish as an arrow was lodged in its heart, slaying it instantly.

"**+65 EXP. Quest Updated 4/10 Vampires Slain."**

Well, that should be almost half right there," Xander muttered to himself.

"Steve," Another voice called. "What was that noise from Chad's room? Was he getting too rough with the juicebox again?... Steve?"

Xander heard some lumbering footfalls begin their ascent up the steps. He readied another arrow. When the vamp turned the corner he loosened. Yet this time his aim was slightly off. He stuck the undead in the chest but in his left pectoral instead, causing it to growl in pain and assume its game-face while also ripping the arrow out. And tossing it aside.

"We got trouble up here!" The vamp called as he ran down the hallway.

Xander knew he had a few seconds at best so he drew both of his knives and lowered his stance preparing to take the vampire on. He smiled when he saw the undead's wound burning on its chest, and outright grinned when he saw the thing lower itself into an obvious spear tackle from over twenty feet away. '_These guys have to be fledglings. That's the only way they can be this dumb,'_ Xander thought to himself as he stepped aside the obvious attack and rammed his knife into the walking corpses guy.

"Gah! That fucking burns! Why the hell does it burn?!" The vampire asked as it writhed in pain on the blessed silver weapon.

"Tell me, how does this feel you damn bloodsucker?!" Xander asked as he stabbed the fledgling in the heart.

"Ouch!" Was all the damned creature could say before its whole body turned to dust. Hearing the sound of breaking furniture and a growling that could only come from Cavall, Xander dashed down the hallway, and took a running jump down the stairs, landing with a thud right behind a hulking mass of muscle. Xander didn't think. He didn't have time. He just stabbed both blades into either side of its neck and pulled back. The vampire dusted as if its head had been cut off, which it mostly had.

"**+130EXP. Quest Updated: 6/10 Vampires Slain."**

'_Okay, just need to sever the spinal cord, that's good to know,' _Xander thought to himself as he looked over the scene.

Jenny was causing storms of blazing ash and cinder to appear in the midst of the vampires, laughing like a real witch as they stumbled around, unable to see anything due to the sudden influx soot clouding their vision. Xander took this as his cue to rush forward, and stab the closest body he came across in the chest.

"**+65 EXP. Quest Updated 7/10 Vampires Slain."**

The sound of Cavall tearing at flesh with his teeth was heard. And the screams of the vamps as they burned from the burning rocks until finally they dusted.

"**+860EXP. Quest Updated: 16/10 Vampires Slain. Quest Complete!"**

"**Secret Objective complete: Save an Innocent from the vampiric scourge. +500EXP"**

Once the ashes finally learned Xander looked around at all the dead vampires. "Holy shit Jen… looks like you could've done this without my help."

The Witch smiled. "Don't be ridiculous Alex. You took out six of them by yourself. That's impressive."

Xander still couldn't help but shake his head, "Yeah but you just cleared a whole room full of them with what? A level two spell?"

"Level three actually, and remember, Vampires are weak to fire," Jenny reminded him.

"Weak or not you totally creamed them," The teen complimented. "C'mon, we should search this place, and the dust piles for drops."

"The vampires drop items?"

"Apparently," Xander started running a foot through the dust piles and found the occasional bag much like the one the vamp upstairs dropped. Picking it up, he got a message saying, "**You obtained small coin pouch containing one hundred twenty gold."**

"Holy shit!" Xander swore.

"What is it?"

"These guys are dropping bags of _gold_!"

Jana's eyes lit up, "We should thoroughly search them then."

"Agreed… two way split on everything we find?" Xander asked.

"Sounds fair to me," the Romani agreed. "Let's save the basement for last, just in case something else is hiding down there."

Xander nodded as he began poking through dust piles.

"**You found small coin pouch with a hundred twenty gold inside!**

"**Your companion found a small coin pouch with a hundred twenty gold inside!"**

"**Your Companions Familiar found some jewelry worth five-hundred gold."**

Between the three of them, they managed to collect five small pouches totaling six hundred gold, some jewelry worth about a grand and a half, and on one corpse an old key.

Xander held it up at eye level it looked old and made of solid iron. "How much you wanna bet this goes to the end of the dungeon chest in the basement?"

"I don't take suckers best Alex," Janna said as she led the way downstairs prepared to cast volcanic storm again should any other vampires be lurking down there.

In the basement, they found an old steamer trunk, made of solid wood and banded iron, and as big as Cavall was tall. On its front was an iron faced lock plate. "I do believe we've found a use for our key."

Xander took a knee and inserted the key into the lock, but before he turned it, he checked the old trunk for any sort of traps. He didn't find any wire mechanisms, see any place spikes or darts could shoot out to kill him, or where gas could vent to poison him, so he assumed it was safe. He turned the key and heard an audible _click_.

He pushed the lid back and gazed within, "Wow."

"What is it?" The Romani asked, curious.

Xander reached in and pulled out a masterfully crafted leather cuirass. On its face was carved a caricature of a vampire bat. Fangs flaring out in brilliant silver.

"**You have gained Cuirass of Undead Dread. This raiment when worn inflicts a fear status in undead within thirty feat of you. Making them less likely to inflict critical hits due to fear."**

Xander reached in again. "There's also this book."

"**You have gained Wizarding for Dummies. Allows one to treat any spellcaster class as an equivalent Wizard Level and learn spells from the Wizard Spell list. Only takes effect if the entire book is read by the next level up, which takes up to forty hours of study. Is destroyed upon successful use by a single individual."**

Janna was quick to say, "I'll take the book if you don't mind. Witches have few offensive spells so it'll help a lot."

"Have at it," Xander said tossing her the book. "I've got some new armor… well I've finally got some armor I should say."

Reaching in for the final time, Xander pulled out a large bag of gold.

"**You found a large bag of gold containing 1000 gold and one ruby worth fifty gold."**

"Do you want the ruby and I'll just keep the gold?" Xander said. "I'm only offering this cause I know you might need rubies for a spell at some point."

Janna had to admit, the young man had a good point, "I'll take the ruby thank you Alex."

He tossed her the red stone and pocketed the bag.

"**Should you find yourself over burdened, just say or think "Inventory" and you'll be granted access to a hammerspace like area that you can store excess loot. Note that you can only store as much as you could naturally carry however."**

"Inventory," Xander said getting a little annoyed at getting these tooltips after the fact. A window full of squares opened up into his field of view and He stored his gold there. They stacked on top of each other, making a symbol of golden coins piled on top of each other and said x1500.

"I wonder how much that is in cash?"

"I'll check the paper when I get home, and give you a call if I can get your number that is?"

"Wow, a girl is asking me for my number, _and_ she's a hot older lady… pinch me I'm dreaming. Ouch!" Xander complained when Cavall nipped him on the leg.

"What, you _asked_," Cavall retorted causing Jenny to giggle hoping that hid the flush from Xanders flirting.

"I swear this dog can talk," Xander said as he rubbed the flesh of his calf where the dog and nipped him. "Ready to get outta here Jen?"

"Yeah, I… just wish we could've done more," She replied frowning slightly.

Xander gave a grimace of a smile before he patted her on the shoulder. "Believe me I go to sleep every night feeling exactly like that… try not to let it get you down okay?"

"Do you need a ride home?" Janna offered him.

Xander thought about it but shook his head. "Nah, there's something I gotta do first. I'll make my own way there."

His admittedly hot teacher frowned in concern, "Are you sure? We've cleared out this place but there are still plenty more where that came from."

"I'm sure," He picked up a shovel and rested it on his shoulder. "There's something I need to take care of before I can head to bed anyway."

Janna nodded, seemingly understanding what he was getting at. "Do you need any help?"

Xander shook his head. "Nah. I'm good, you and Cavall should head on home though." The fledgling vampire hunter did his best to suppress a yawn, "Seeya tomorrow Miss Calendar."

The boy was surprised to find himself wrapped in a hug. "Be safe Alex, and seriously, that number? I want to know you made it home alright."

"Gimme your phone."

After inputting his cell number Xander let her do the same to him. He looked and under his contacts it said Jan. "Jan huh?"

"I'd much rather be myself around you, because your the only one I can be myself around. With everyone else I need to… Put up a front. _Call me_ when you get home," She said giving him a stern look. "I don't care what time it is when you get there, you _call me_ when you do, understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Xander snapped a mock salute.

Janna just rolled her eyes and smiled as she walked away. Cavall followed in her wake, but not before giving the other human a nod of respect. Once the two had left a screen suddenly popped up in front of him.

"**Hidden Quest activated.**

**Remorse for the Fallen.**

**Sunnydale is a town bathed in darkness and innocent people pass away without a soul knowing about them. You on the other hand **_**do**_ **know. You not only saved an innocent life you are giving the last rites to those lost to the taint of demons in your town. Your deeds shall be remembered for what you have done.**

**Reward Title: Torchbearer."**

"I would've done this without the promise of a reward you know?" Xander said as he made his way upstairs to collect the corpses.

**(...)**

'_Dragging corpses is hard. Digging graves in the middle of the night is harder,'_ Xander thought to himself as he had hauled a sheet filled with two dead bodies on his back to the nearest graveyard and proceeded to dig a hole to put them in. Not the most ceremonious of things to do, but hey, at least they were being buried on holy ground. The only consolation he got from this is his run ten km daily quest had gone up over half while dragging them around, as he was forced to keep to the alleyways to prevent anyone asking questions.

Once he was sure the hole was deep enough, he rolled the two corpses into it. "Sorry you two, wish I could do more for you but… this is all I can do," He proceeded to bury them and once that was done, another screen popped up.

"**Hidden Quest Complete!**

**Title Torchbearer awarded!**

**Description: You carry the hopes and dreams of those fallen to the darkness. This title gives a bonus +4 to spot and listen when doing righteous deeds and lets those with a hint of good in them know you are here to help them. Thank you Alexander."**

"Like I said," Xander muttered to himself as he dusted his hands off on his pants, "I didn't do this for a reward," He then ran to the Temple of Rabbi Joseph.

**(...)**

By the time he arrived he'd completed his ten km run. "Rabbi, you still here man?" Xander said a little breathlessly.

"You return, what happened to your lady friend did she… fall in battle?" Joseph asked worriedly.

"What, no Jan is fine. She just went home for the night," Xander told the man. "You have a tendency to assume the worst you know that?"

"Comes from a lifetime of seeing terrible things happening to good people, myself included, I'm afraid. But tell me, how did you fair in the night's hunt?"

"Sixteen bloodsuckers dead and one innocent saved… I just finished burying two people in the graveyard up on eighth and main."

The elderly man looked down in sadness and said a silent prayer for the deceased. "I see, that is a common sight in this thankless line of work I'm afraid. People _will_ die Alexander. You _won't_ be able to save them all. It's an inevitability, I'm sorry to say."

The young man nodded, his face grim. "I know Joe, I know. But I'll be damned if I don't at least _try_ to save as many as I can."

Despite the bad news delivered with the good, the holy man managed to smile, "Still a blow was struck against the forces of evil tonight and an innocent saved. For that, you should be proud my boy."

"Couldn't have done it without your gear Joe, which is why I'm here, to give back," Xander picked up a collection plate, opened up his inventory and dropped ten gold into the plate. "Please don't ask how I did that, you'd just get a headache if I tried to explain."

"Alexander… I… I can't accept this," Joseph said upon looking at the golden coins.

"Sure you can, just use them to fix this place up hold a fundraiser, do something. And if you need convincing… consider it a bribe for information."

The rabbi quirked his salt and pepper colored eyebrow. "Information on?"

"Where you got your gear. In case some get lost or destroyed and need to be replaced," Xander said shifting the offering plate back towards the preacher.

Joseph smiled and finally gave in. "Now that, I _can _help with. A man named Bobby Singer has a contact who crafted my arrows and my knives. I can put you in touch with him. Should you require it."

Xander smiled. He did manage to recover all of his arrows, and the knives were nice, but he would prefer something a bit… longer to fight with. Like a sword or two. "How much would a couple of silver swords cost me? Don't get me wrong, I like the knives but I'd prefer to have a bit more steel between me and the undead."

"Completely understandable," Joseph said with a nod. "Did you have a preference on a type of sword?"

"Umm something I can dual wield? Like a saber or something Not a rapier obviously but…"

"Two one-handed slashing weapons… yes a saber, falchion, or scimitar would suit you just fine."

Xander was half tempted to go for scimitar if only because the most famous ranger of all time Drizzt Do'urden used them. But then he really gave some thought to it and decided on something else. "Falchions sound cool to me."

"Right, I'll call Bobby tomorrow and he'll get in contact with his guy who'll make them for you and he'll get back to me with a price."

"Cool, I'll stop by after school tomorrow and you can tell me how much I owe this Bobby guy. Provided you have a price by then."

"I should. Now get to bed son, you look beat," the rabbi all but demanded.

"I'm on my way. Seeya tomorrow Joe," Xander began a long walk home. He still had a couple of things he needed to do before he could go to bed.

**~FotP~**

Xander made it to his room with no problems. His parents were both so drunk they could both be robbed blind and not notice it till morning. Once he got to his room in the basement, he started doing the last bit of exercises he needed to do to complete his daily quest.

"**Daily Quest Complete! +4 EXP!"**

With that done, Xander picked up his cell phone and dialed the newest number on it.

The person on the other end picked up before the first ring even finished. "Alex, did you get home alright?"

"Yeah Jan, I just got in. I'm about to go to sleep."

A sigh was heard on the other end of the line, "Oh thank goodness. You had me worried you know?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to do that," Xander said contritely. He meant it too. "Did you stay up waiting for my call?"

"Of course I did, I wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. I'd just be worried sick about you."

This was the first time in living memory Xander could recall anyone caring about him quite this much outside of Willow and Jessie of course. "Thanks Jan… for caring. Now get some sleep you have a class to teach tomorrow."

"I know, your in it remember?" She joked tiredly. "Goodnight Alex."

"Night Janna."

He hung up the phone and all but collapsed in his bed. Day one of his life turning into an RPG, complete. Now he has to wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. Oh joy…

**~FotP~**

Janna Kaldarash's alarm clock went off much sooner than she would've liked the next morning. She was exhausted after dropping the poor vamp victim of at Sunnydale General Hospital last night. She was also greeted by a quest notification proving that yesterday was not some weird dream.

"**Daily Quest: Cast twenty spells within twenty four hours. 0/20**

**Success: +4 EXP, ten successive completions of Daily Quests will result in a +1 to Int and Con.**

**Failure: Penalty Quest"**

The witch turned computer teacher sighed as she turned off her alarm. "Well that seems easy enough, just stick with cantrips and I should be fine."

So she got up out of bed, and after letting Cavall out to do his business, got ready for the day. As she got dressed she kept using the simple prestidigitation cantrip to change the color on her clothes. Doing so twenty times in a row made her feel even more mentally exhausted than she already was but she figured it was nothing a cup of coffee couldn't cure.

"**Daily Quest Complete! +4EXP"** The screen said as she made her way into her kitchen.

"Well that was easy, it's a shame Xander's Daily Quest is such a hassle," Janna said to herself letting Cavall back in when she heard him calling.

"Thanks Mum, it's a nice day out there it is. But I see folks walkin' around wearin' jackets and the like."

"This is _California _Cavall, they don't know the meaning of the word cold. That's why some people are crazy enough to think Calafornians are lizard people," Janna said as she sipped on her coffee and made some eggs for herself and her canine companion.

"Wouldn't surprise me Mum, not one bit it wouldn't. The eggs smell good got any rashers to go wit em?"

"No we don't have any bacon I'm afraid. Before I forget are you allergic to anything like chocolate, onions, or garlic like a normal dog?"

Cavall cocked his head to the side, "I don't know what any of that is Mum, sides garlic of course. I know it's good for killin' vamps that."

"Tell me Cavall, what did you think of Xander last night?"

"The Alpha did a damn fine job leadin' the pack last night Mum, a damn fine job. You an him work together real nice by the look ah things… Why, I reckon the two of you could have some nice lookin' pups if you put your mind to it."

Janna flushed. "Cavall! He's my _student_. I'm his _teacher_! We… we _can't_ be in that kind of a relationship. I could go to jail!"

"Bah," The cayhound complained as he sat on his haunches and scratched his ear. "We _both _know no prison could hold you Mum, especially not with me around. Since I can teleport and everything."

Janna just sighed. Now her dog was trying to convince her to get together with her student. Her life just kept getting more complicated. First she came here to make sure he families ancient foe kept suffering, then it became a videogame, now she's got a talking dog and said dog was shipping her with her student. '_I do hope Alex's morning starts out less hectic than mine.'_ She thought before looking at the clock and her eyes widened. "Speaking of hectic, I need to get going soon." She looked at Cavall and said, "Stay here, be good, stay out of the trash?"

"What do I look like a dog?" Seeing the dry look he was being given, the Caypup chuckled. "Oh wait, I _am _a dog aren't I? I forgot for a minute there. Can you at least turn the tellie on for me Mum?"

Alright any particular channel?"

"You don't happen to get the skin flix do ya? What? I'm a _guy too _ya know?" He retorted upon seeing the glare he was being sent by his mistress.

"Watch That 70's Show there running a marathon."

"The hell is this… Who's the skinny knob? And what's with that idiots hair?" She heard Cavall say as she left her house.

**~FotP~**

Xander awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. '_Wait, alarm? I don't have an alarm clock.'_ Xander thought to himself. Opening his eyes, he found a screen in front of him.

"**Daily Quest: ****Complete this quest within twenty-four hours or suffer a penalty.**

**Do 100 pushups. 0/100**

**Do 100 sit ups. 0/100**

**Do 100 squats. 0/100**

**Run 10km. 0/10km.**

**Rewards: +4 EXP, and +1 to STR, +1 to DEX every ten successive completions in a row. Limit to 30 in DEX and STR.**

**Failure: Penalty Quest."**

"What time is it?" Xander groaned in annoyance.

**6:01am. **A small screen informed him.

"Your not gonna stop bugging me till I get up are you?" He didn't get an answer but the fact the buzzing continued was answer enough. With an annoyed groan, Xander rolled out of bed. Getting dressed in some sweats and eating a quick bowl of cereal, Xander made a mental note to go out and buy _actual _food for himself if he was going to start working out before he began his morning run.

He started running from his driveway and just ran. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the quest pop up for the km tracker kept updating.

"**Daily Quest Updated: 1/10km ran."**

"**Daily Quest Updated: 2/10km ran."**

"**Daily Quest Updated: 3/10km ran."**

"**Daily Quest Updated: 4/10km ran."**

"**Daily Quest updated: 5/10km ran."**

Once he got to the halfway point with his lungs burning and sweat both drenching his clothes, and beading his brow, Xander stopped, bent over with his hands on his knees, and caught his breath, saying, "Time."

**6:35am**

'_I ran three miles in thirty-six minutes or so. Not bad. That's not bad right?' _Xander asked himself as he kept trying to catch his breath. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Xander turned around running back to his house to take a shower and consequently finishing his ten kilometer run for the morning. He made sure to keep his armor and weapons in his inventory in case he needed them on short notice before he left the house.

**~FotP~**

The teen arrived at school with his muscles feeling loose from his morning run. He greeted Buffy and Willow with a wave as he ran past them into school. Leaving the two startled women in his wake. Willow looked to Buffy and spoke, "I guess he's taking this workout thing seriously."

The Slayer nodded. "Sure looks that way. Can't say I blame him though."

Willow nodded silently. Still, she _knew _Xander, working out, paying attention in class threats of being held back or not, just wasn't… wasn't _Xander_. She knew something was up. The redhead just couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Buffy placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Everything okay Will?"

"I… keep getting a feeling that something is up with Xander. Is it just me? Am I being paranoid?"

"Well, you have known him longer than me." Buffy admitted. "That could be both a good and a bad thing. Since you've known him so long, you know how he thinks, which would let you know when something is… off. But that can sometimes backfire since… well he's a guy, and sometimes they just do stuff that doesn't make sense."

Willow nodded. "True."

The Slayer continued being unusually insightful. "What he's doing right now? Working out and working on his grades _does_ make sense to me at least. We live on bus stop to hellsville for one, and for another getting held back a grade just isn't a good look."

Willow mulled it over, and decided Buffy had a good point. "You're right Buffy. When did you get to insightful?"

Buffy gave her friend a light playful shove. "You know I _dye_ my hair right?"

"Yeah, sorry," Willow apologized.

"C'mon, let's get to class before Snyder comes sniffing around," The Slayer said leading the way indoors.

**~FotP~**

Xander did his best to take notes on history class, but school felt so… underwhelming compared to the fact that his life had become a videogame. '_I could be out there right now, dusting vamps, gaining some much needed EXP. During daylight hours is the perfect time to do it, I'd have home field advantage for once. Instead, I'm stuck here, listening to some guy who's likely underpaid to put up with teens like me yammer on about ancient history. History which makes we wonder how much of it has been influenced by the people behind the scenes. People like the Watchers and Vampires and Demons. What's true, and what's even a lie?' _Xander thought to himself as he waited for the bell to ring.

Once it finally did Xander grabbed his bag and headed for the cafeteria. He was stopped in the hall when someone grabbed his arm. Xander turned ready to punch whoever had grabbed him. He stopped himself when he realized it was his computer teacher. "Sorry about that Miss C, I'm a bit… wired today."

"That's alright Alexander. I needed to discuss your tutoring so if you could walk with me to the cafeteria please?"

"You need tutor Harris? Why am I not surprised? Just wait till everyone hears about this."

The two turned to see Harmony Kendall behind them. Janna fixed the girl with a glare. "You will do no such thing Miss Kendall or I'll know who to fail from my computer class for the rest of the year. Am I _understood_?"

The blonde of the popular clique blanched, "Y-Yes Miss Calendar."

"Good, now off you go," Janna said shooing the girl along with her hand.

After Harmony stalked off red-faced, Xander said to his partner in hunting, "You probably shouldn't have done that Jen. She'll get you back for that, somehow."

"I'd love to see that," The Romani said with a bit of heat in her tone, "What did you bring for lunch?"

"Money for the slop they call food in the cafeteria," Xander replied sounding a bit glum.

Jenny wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Well, you can just come back to the computer lab and share my lunch with me."

"You don't need to do that Miss C…" Xander began to protest only for the woman to lead him away by the hand. "I'm… not getting out of this am I?"

"Nope," Janna promptly replied.

**~FotP~**

Xander sat awkwardly at a desk while his computer teacher put a piece of tupperware in a microwave. In order to make himself feel less awkward he asked. "So, what're we eating?"

"Ardei umpluţi, or if you prefer English, stuffed peppers," The Romani replied placing a green pepper stuffed with what smelled like pork, rice, spices and something tomatoey on a paper plate and handing him some plastic utensils before she dug into her own meal.

He stared at the stuffed pepper and smiled. Once again Janna Kalderash was being kinder to him than most. '_She really is nice.'_ Xander thought to himself as he dug into his freely given meal. On the first bite, his hazel eyes widened.

"Do you like it?" His teacher asked worriedly.

"Not like it? This is awesome!" Xander replied as he dug into his meal with relish. "Beats the frozen meals I usually eat at home by a mile."

Janna smiled then frowned. This was the second instance she'd picked up that something might be wrong at home with her fellow demon hunter. '_Am I just reading too much into things or is something really going on?'_ Janna thought to herself.

"**Companion Quest: Behind the Facade: Try and find out what, if anything is going on with Alexander, and help in anyway possible.**

**Success: +10 Bond with Xander, +50EXP, and a secret reward.**

**Failure: Nothing changes, no increased Bond with Xander, and you'll just have to keep wondering if something is wrong now, won't you?"**

'_Increased bond? Does this game also come with dating sim elements now too?' _

Janna received no answer but if the Path and the deity behind it thought it was pertinent that Xander's homelife be looked into, then who was she to _not_ look into it? She looked at the young man and then thought about the name of the quest. Behind the Facade. If Xander was just _pretending_ to be a happy-go-lucky teenager then… well this could be all kinds of bad.

'_Well his parents don't seem to be starving him at least,'_ She watched him last night as he fought and killed vampire fledglings. It was from stealth and she had no doubt a stealth crit modifier was somehow in play somewhere, but the point stood, Alexander was capable. A half-starved boy wouldn't be. Still, there were other kinds of abuse he could be suffering from.

"That was great Miss C. Best meal I've had in awhile," Xander complimented once he finished his meal.

"I'm glad you liked it… Alex, I'm going to ask you a question and I need you to be honest with me alright?" Xander gave his teacher and hunting partner a confused look but nodded, prompting her to ask. "Your parents… they don't abuse you in anyway do they?"

The teens eyes widended then he blinked rapidly a couple of times. "What? My parents abuse me? No, no don't be ridiculous Jenny."

"**Lie Check Failed."**

Neither said anything for a moment as they looked at the screen that popped up before them both. Janna fixed her student with a hard look asked. "Neither I or the Path believe you it seems Alex. So, would you like to try again?"

Xander sighed and fixed his gaze on the floor, running his hands through his dark brown, almost black hair, he spoke, "My parents, don't really abuse me… they don't mean to anyway… They just drink. A lot."

"Alex, they're alcoholics. They need help, and you _need_ to get out of that house," Janna told him firmly.

Xander shook his head, "I can't leave, I can't tell you how many times I've had to stop my parents from choking on their own vomit, or get ice for my mom after my dad hits her."

"Your father _physically abuses _your mother?" Janna's voice was like ice. As a woman there was no lower a man could sink than sposal abuse, next to child abuse, and from the sounds of it, this man had done both.

"He did, when I was younger. I don't know if he does it anymore. Now they both just tell me how stupid I am, how useless I am… how I'll never amount to anything… how…" Xander was taking deeper and deeper breaths. It was the telltale sign of a panic attack.

Janna got up and rubbed Xander's back saying, "It's okay, your going to be alright, just breath. You are none of those things they said Alex. You go out every night, of your own freewill and fight vampires. Even though it's dangerous, even though you know you could die any minute you keep doing it. That makes you very brave, and far, far from useless."

"Thanks… thanks Jan. Appreciate it," Xander smiled and waited for the roiling in his stomach to pass. He really didn't want his lunch to come back up the way it went down. "I dunno if I believe it, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

Janna shook her head, for the poor boy had actually started believing the bullshit his parents kept telling him over the years. '_Well, that stops today,' _She decided. "Alex, your coming home with me after school today," Janna spoke in a tone that would brook no arguments. "If your _parents," _she spoke the word like it was poison, "Have a problem with you disappearing then they can file a police report and I'll happily bring up the years of abuse you've suffered under their hand and we'll see who gets arrested."

Xander just stared at the woman. He'd never seen an adult this pissed before. Well, his dad whenever he ran out of beer, but he was used to that. This was different. Janna was pissed, not drunk, and to top it all off, she was pissed for _his sake. _He couldn't ever recall anyone getting upset for his sake before. Maybe Willow and Jessie a couple of times when they were younger but that was it. "I...I don't know what to say? I mean, this is nice of you and all… but all my stuff is at home and…"

"We can stop by to get your things, but I can't in good conscious let you stay there any longer Alex. Not when your already putting yourself at risk on a nightly basis. Alright?"

The teen silently nodded his mind so awhirl with thoughts he was incapable of forming a proper response at the moment. Janna patted him comfortingly on the arm. "Don't worry Alex, everything is going to be okay, you'll see."

**~FotP~**

Xander meandered through the rest of the day in a fugue state. He was going to move in with his teacher and away from his parents… he didn't know how to feel about all this. On the one hand, it would be nice to not have to hide anything about the slaying, and getting actual cooked meals would be a plus too. On the other hand, he really wasn't kidding earlier when he said he'd stopped his parents from choking on their vomit multiple times. Also, if he wasn't there, there would be no one to recycle the cans and beer bottles his parents left lying around. His 'allowance' Xander called it whenever he recycled the cans.

'_But she's just trying to be nice. I'll just stay for a couple of days and then go back home. I'm sure by then I can make her see reason,' _Xander thought to himself. '_Besides, I'm sure after a couple of days with me at her place she'll get sick of me and want me to leave by then. She already has a new roommate in the form of a dog. Two's company and three's a crowd after all.' _Xander nodded, this seemed like the best course of action for him to take.

He met Janna in the parking lot after school by her car. She smiled at him encouragingly. "Ready to do this Alex?"

Xander shrugged, "I guess so? You're not exactly giving me much choice in the matter Jan."

This caused the Romani to frown a bit. "True, but this really is for the best Alex, you'll see. C'mon, let's go get your things."

**~FotP~**

When they pulled up to Xander's house Janna was surprised to see how well kept the lawn was. Her surprise must've shown on her face as Xander said, "My parents make me do the yardwork. Not like I mind."

Janna got out, noticing some flowers growing next to the house Janna decided to comment, "Did you grow these amaranths too?"

Xander rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah? Don't tell anyone though. People find out I've got a green thumb and I'll just get made fun of at school."

"When you get to pick your profession you should choose herbalist. You have a knack for growing things," Janna suggested.

"I'll think about it," Xander replied as he fished around for his keys. Finding it he unlocked the door. Xander held out an arm in welcome speaking in a glum tone, "Welcome to casa del Harris."

Janna made her way inside. The scent of sour beer was the first thing she registered. Next was the fact that it was very dark in the house. All the blinds and curtains were drawn. 'Of course they are if his parents are either drunk or hungover constantly, they wouldn't like bright light. They might as well be vampires themselves.' The further she walked the more Janna shook her head, an inch of dust covered the counters, upon which were entire three dimensional pyramids of empty beer cans. She looked back at Xander in askance.

Said young man shrugged before speaking in a whisper, "I get bored."

Janna rolled her eyes and mouthed, "Your room?"

Xander pointed downstairs to the basement.

"They make you sleep in the basement?" Janna said furiously.

Xander waved his hands towards her frantically. "Shh, shh, you _really_ don't want to wake my dad."

"Alex dear, I'm a witch. I can handle your half drunken father just by pointing at him," Janna reminded him patiently, adding for good measure as she pinched his cheek, "You have no idea how much more powerful I am now thanks to your help, dear."

"Um, sure yeah no problem. My room right? Right this way," He lead her downstairs.

**~FotP~**

There was a cold clammy chill in the air that Janna couldn't quite shake while she was in the Harris family basement, it was also fairly dark too. Hearing the sound of a chain being pulled, the room was filled with yellow light coming from a singular bulb over head. Looking around, she saw Xander had a bed, some plastic bins that held some memorabilia and what looked to be a cobbled together wooden closet that had several hawaiian shirts hanging from it, and several pairs of pants and socks in their own little cubby holes.

'_This is it? This is Xander's 'room'?'_ Janna thought to herself incredulously. '_He's sharing a wall with Christmas decorations.' _

Her thoughts must've shown on her face again, because he gave an awkward smile. "Yeah, I know it isn't much, but hey, I built that closet myself. Sturdy too."

Janna gave the makeshift closet another once over, it was rather well made if simple. The wood was smooth and varnished, and had a metal pole going through it to hang his shirts from. "You did a good job on the closet Alex."

"Thanks," The teen said, a bit of pride tingeing his tone. It was the first time she'd heard him take pride in anything except for maybe the bushes outside of his home. "So I should probably just put everything in my inventory so we can leave real inconspicuous like huh?"

"That's a good idea actually. That way, no one will suspect anything is going on," Janna praised hoping more of these positive and intelligent thoughts.

'_Inventory,' _Xander thought before he plopped his shelf full of clothes, which weighed 36lbs and both of his boxes of comics which both weighed ten, into his inventory, bringing the max weight up to 87lbs/39.5kilos. He still had plenty of space.

The last thing he did was grab a silver Star of David which hung from a simple nail from its leather cord above his bed. Instead of putting it in his inventory, he put it around his neck tucking it into his shirt.

"**Item Gained: Star of David! Effect: Wards off undead and evil outsiders within 1m/3.2ft."**

"Huh, guess the Rabbi was right, I really _should've_ been wearing this thing the whole time," Xander said to himself.

"What did it do?" Janna asked.

"Wards off undead and evil outsiders within one meter."

Janna nodded in agreement, "That is useful. I'll need to get me a holy symbol myself. It's a shame you don't have access to cleric level magic or that could likely be used as a catalyst."

"Yeah, shame that," Xander said, "We should probably get going."

Janna agreed, now that they had his things there was no further need to stay here any longer. "Let's get going then."

**~FotP~**

Having left the Harris Residence without incident, they arrived at Janna's home. It was a nice two story house, made of brick, with a picket fence lining the property and a pathway leading up to the front door lined with stones. The second story even had a balcony. Xander turned to his teacher and asked, "How in the hell can you afford this place? It has to cost a cool million easy."

"My Clan is… very well off financially," Janna replied evasively.

"I'll bet… your grass could use some watering, it's getting brown and patchy," Xander noted as he walked down the walkway towards the door.

"You really enjoy yardwork don't you?" Janna noted.

Xander nodded. "Yeah, it was one of the few times my folks would just leave me alone. It used to just be a chore, then it was an… escape I guess?"

"Well if you want to keep my lawn nice while your staying here, I certainly won't complain. Lord knows I don't have time to do it, what between planning lessons and grading schoolwork."

Xander was quick to nod. "I could do that, it just needs watering I think. I don't suppose you have a sprinkler system in this place?" Xander looked closer at lawn for the telltale signs of black sprinkler heads.

"No it doesn't unfortunately."

"That's fine, I just need… a hose," Xander said trailing off as he stepped through the door. The floors were all solid wood, there was a long white table just off a small kitchen that was big enough to seat ten people, and not too far away was the living room full of leather furniture that had a wall mounted forty inch TV that had That 70's Show going with Cavall barking every now and then at the show.

"Kelso you fucking ponce. You kissed a girl behind the dumpster? And you expect Jackie _not_ to find out about it, when every Dick, Todd, and Jimmie already knows? You daft nitwit! Oh, hello Mum, welcome back! An' I see you brought the Alpha wit you too. Welcome lad, welcome!"

"He's happy to see us I think. Hey Cavall buddy how are you?" Xander said to the Caypup.

"I'm grand, just grand. I been enjoying That 70's Show since this mornin'. I love Red Forman! He calls everyone a dumbass when they do stupid shit! Shows great wisdom that one."

"No dumbass!" Red told his son Eric.

"Ha! See what I mean? Ah love it!"

"Red, never change," Xander said with a grin as he rubbed Cavall's head. He turned to Janna asking, "Where should I put my things?"

"Second floor, first door on your right, first door on your left is the bathroom."

"Things? Is the Alpha movin' in Mum?" Cavall asked his tail wagging at the prospect.

Janna waited for Xander to head upstairs before she replied to her familiar. "Yes he is Cavall. It turns out, his parents have been verbally and quite possibly physically abusing Alex for years."

"What?!" Cavall growled. "Lemme at 'em! Lemme at 'em Mum! I'll tear their bits off I will!"

"Easy Cavall, easy. Alex is going to be staying with us from now on and we're going to show him what a real family's like," Janna said as she soothingly rubbed her dog's flank.

"Too damn right we are Mum, too damn right," Cavall said, letting out lighter and lighter growls. "I'll go check up on the lad, be right back.

**~FotP~**

Xander looked around the room he was being allowed to stay in. It was huge compared to his room back home, and it had a window, one that got natural sunlight. He walked over to the bed he had. It was a queen in a wrought iron bed frame. The closet took up the wall directly in front of the bed, its doors were mirrors set into sliding tracks. There was a small chair next to a lamp for reading and his room had a french window with a window seat. The window itself looked out into the front yard.

"Like wow… this place is huge. A lot bigger than my room back home," Xander said to himself. He felt something cold and damp press against his hand, and looked down to find Cavall pressing his nose into Xanders hand, his tail wagging gently back and forth.

Xander scratched his ears. "Hey boy, Come to check out my new digs with me?"

"Aye, it's a nice room," Cavall opined as he jumped up on the window seat. "Nice view too."

"That your bunk buddy?" Xander joked.

"Maybe? What of it?" Cavall shot back playfully cocking his head to the side.

Well, at least I've got a nice roommate for a bit."

"For a bit whatchu mean for a bit, Alpha? Your stayin' right?" Cavall asked, gettin' down from his perch and jumping up on Xander.

Xander figured he could tell the dog his secret plan.' _After all, what was it going to do? Tell Janna? Yeah, right. He's a magic dog but he clearly can't talk,' _So gently pushing the dog off him, he squatted down and whispered to the dog. "I'm not planning on staying Cavall. I'll stay a day, maybe two, but then I should probably head back home."

"No, don't leave! We want ya to stay you blasted idiot!" Cavall said, but all Xander heard was whining.

Xander patted Cavall's side, "There there boy. We'll still see each other when we go hunting and stuff."

"I'm putting a stop to this! You ain't goin' nowhere boyo!" Cavall barked before he left the room.

Xander watched as the dog left his room abruptly. Huh, maybe he had to go to the bathroom?" He shrugged. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do the rest of my daily exercises."

Xander started with the pushups, he stared at his reflection as he worked out, and weirdly, it helped. He soon finished the pushups and moved onto the squats. That was also done quickly he finished off his daily exercises with the crunches today.

"**+4 EXP! Quest Updated: Completed Daily Quest 2/10 days in a row."**

"Alex?" Janna called, "Could you come down here please? There's something I'd like to discuss with you before dinner."

"I'll be right down." Xander called, wondering what she wanted to talk about.

**~FotP~**

The smell of something good cooking on the stove met Xander's nose as he came downstairs. He saw Janna sitting on the couch seemingly lost in thought, absentmindedly stroking Cavall's fur as she thought about something. Xander was tempted to leave her be, but she said she wanted to talk to him before dinner, and it smelled about done to him. So he cleared his throat, snapping the Romani out of her daze and saying, "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yes, have a seat," Janna motioned to the other end of the leather couch. Xander sat down wondering if she was going to set down some ground rules or something. Turning to face him, the witch said instead. "Alex, can I ask _why_ you want to go back to your parents?"

Xander's eyes widened. "How did you? Did you use magic to spy on me or something?"

Janna shook her head. "No nothing like that," She patted Cavall on the head. "Cavall here is my familiar. That means _I _can understand what he's saying even when you can't."

Xander scowled at the red furred canine. "You ratted on me."

"She's the one who feeds me mate, not you. I owe her more than you no offense," Cavall said as he yawned.

"What'd he just say?" Xander asked, "I know he just said something."

"He knows where his loyalties lie," Janna translated for her familiar. "Could you answer my question for me? At least, as best as you can?"

Xander shrugged. "I mean, their my parents you know? It's my job to take care of them, isn't it? That's the deal right? They looked after me when I was younger and now I return the favor since I'm older, right?"

"Xander dear," Janna said gently reaching out and taking his hand, "You are still a teenager. Your parents should still be looking after you and making sure you're doing well in school and making the right decisions. While its admirable what your trying to do, you shouldn't be doing it yet. You shouldn't be doing this for another twenty or thirty years yet fourty even. Certainly not now. Does that make sense?" Xander slowly nodded, prompting Janna to continue, "Good. Now, I can't force you to stay, as that would be kidnapping of a minor, but I'd certainly like it if you'd stay, and your more than welcome to, as long as you'd like."

"Damn straight!" Cavall woofed, tail wagging.

Xander was silent for a time before he finally said, "Thanks Janna, I think I'll take you up on that offer, for now at least."

Hearing this caused the Romani witch to smile. "That's great! Dinner is almost done, I made goulash."

"That dish that has elbow macaroni with spaghetti sauce, meat and cheese in it?" Xander asked.

"That's the American bastardization of it yes. Sorry but you yanks do that to about everything," Janna teased.

"We invented some things Like the hamburger., and we're the unrivaled kings of steak preparation."

"Point. But a proper goulash is more akin to stew than… whatever it is you yanks turned it into."

"Well, I can't wait to try a _proper_ goulash then," Xander joked. Before he said, "You know, I just realized something." He said as he set the table as helped set the table for dinner.

Janna put some potholders on the table and proceeded to carry a large pot to the table and put it down. "What's that?"

Xander filled his bowl with a spicy smelling stew filled with chunks of beef, peppers, and onions that had a tomato based broth. "We never chose our extra languages. You should be able to choose four, and I should get one."

Janna served herself. "Oh, true."

"Hey, what about me Mum?" Cavall complained.

"We don't even know if you can handle spicy food Cavall," Janna chided him.

The Caypup grinned at her. "Well, better to learn now then eh?"

Janna nodded. Worst came to worse he'd have to spend the night outside with the runs and it would be his own fault. She got a third bowl and filled it with some stew, but before she put it on the floor, she said, "Don't blame me if you get diarrhea."

"Wouldn't dream of it mum. Mmm, good stuff this goulash," Cavall complimented.

"Well, I guess he can eat it," Xander noted watching the celestial hound scarf down his portion of food.

Janna gave her familiar a sideways look, "We'll see how he's feeling in a little bit. How is it?"

Xander took a bite and gave a thumbs up. Once he swallowed, he said, "Amazing! Just as good as the peppers earlier. What languages are you going to pick? I'm picking Celestial so I can understand Scooby Doo down there."

"Who you callin' Scooby ya bloody yank?" Cavall retorted while licking his chops. "Please Mum, may I have some more?"

Janna rolled her eyes, but against her better judgement refilled her dogs bowl but only halfway this time. She then replied, "I don't know, it depends if its only offering DnD based languages. There are several magic related human languages I would like to learn. Latin, Welsh, Summerian are the main ones, but they might also fall under certain DnD languages.

"Let's look. Stats languages."

"**Welcome to the Language selection screen! Here you can learn various languages based upon how high your INT (Intelligence) Score is. Having an INT of Ten allows you to pick two languages. For every two points above ten, you can pick another language to speak. Below is a list of Languages you can learn to speak:**

**Abyssal (Persian and Egyptian)**

**Celestial (Enocian, Latin, Spanish, Portugese, French, Italian, Romanian)**

**Common (English)**

**Dragonic (Thu'um)**

**Druidic (Ancient Welsh) Barred**

**Dwarven (High Norse/Runes)**

**Sylvan (Norse, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian)**

**Elemental (Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Cantonese, Tai)**

**Elven (Quenya)**

**Giant (Gaelic)**

**Gnome(Germanic)**

**Halfling (Olde English)**

**Infernal (Sumerian)**

**Orc (Dark Speech)**

**Undercommon (Sign Language)**

Xander immediately picked Celestial along with Elemental as he recalled Rangers being able to summon elementals using the "Summon Nature's Ally" line of spells. So he figured it would be helpful if he could talk to them. He also had a hunch that Celestial and Elemental would also let him speak the corresponding language next to the first choice. So, if he was right, He should be able to speak thirteen different languages now. '_But how do I test it? Well, Jan is Romanian and I chose Celestial so... ' _He cleared his throat and spoke, "Am I speaking Romanian right now?"

Janna blinked. "That's… amazing! I was wondering what the languages in parentheses meant. You picked Celestial didn't you?!"

"I did," Xander effortlessly switched back to English, now sporting a shit eating grin on his face. "This is so cool. And hey, it looks like you get to learn Sumerian after all."

"Yes it does, but it looks like I won't be able to learn welsh as I'm not a Druid. Still, Sumerian and Latin, not bad."

"And you get to pick two more," Xander reminded her.

"Right, Undercommon, and Sylvan I think."

Xander blinked. "I can understand Sylvan what with being able to speak Norse, Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian. But why Undercommon? I doubt we'll be running into any Dark Elves anytime soon."

"It's just a precaution in case the school ever gets a deaf student. It wouldn't do to have no one on hand who could understand them," Janna replied evenly.

The teen nodded, he supposed he could understand that. "Your in this teaching thing for the long haul, aren't you? I mean, it's not just part of your cover here is it?"

Janna took a moment to think over her response, "I do enjoy molding young minds I admit. But more than that, I actually get treated with a modicum of respect here." Seeing the young teens questioning look, Janna indulged his curiosity. "We Rom aren't treated well everywhere we go Alex. When we travel in a lot of places, especially in the United Kingdom, we are treated with suspicion and sometimes hostility. A lot of the time people even break the wheels on our wagons as a way to tell us to get out of town."

Xander frowned, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Thank you, and its past, I'm actually respected for my technological knowhow here, and I get paid to teach it."

The teen scratched the back of his head. "Well I'm glad _you_ know how computers work. I mean I know the basics like keyboards and how to surf the web and stuff but I can't do all the fancy hacker things you and Willow can do. Like coding and all that."

Janna nodded. "You're not the book learning type. I don't mean that as an insult." Janna said quickly upon seeing Xander frown. "You are in no way dumb Alex, its just you learn by _doing_, rather than reading or seeing. It's called being an experiential learner, while the system used in most schools in America are geared towards formal learning or memorizing facts via study. It's probably why you are good at construction, gardening, and hunting monsters. These are all things you learned by experiencing them, interacting with them physically. In fact, thinking about it this way, it makes you the most dangerous of the two of us as there's no limit to how far you can go with the Path. As long as you keep trying new things… who knows how far you'll go."

"Don't put me on a pedestal Jan, I might fall," Xander said sounding bashful.

"I'm just saying this RPG, this Path, is geared towards your way of doing things. Ah, before I forget, gold goes for $288 an ounce.

"Umm, how much money did we make last night then?" Xander asked confused.

Well if I recall correctly one gold coin weighs one-tenth of a pound. You have fifteen hundred gold on you correct?"

"Fourteen ninety, I gave ten to Rabbi Joseph… Holy shit, I just gave him a pound of gold!" Xander said to himself. "I don't regret doing it but damn… no wonder he kept refusing to take it."

Janna smiled. "It went to a good cause. And the math should be simple right?"

It was clear from her tone she was waiting for him to answer. "Let's see ten to a pound so that one-hundred forty nine times two-hundred eighty-eight… forty-two thousand nine-hundred twelve?"

"Very good Alex, that's correct," Janna praised.

"Holy shit… I have almost fifty grand to my name after a single night of slaying… And who says community service isn't lucrative?"

"Indeed. We both made about that much last night since I kept the jewelry that Cavall found."

"Yer welcome Mum," Cavall said laying down on the couch lazily after eating his fill of dinner.

"You _can_ talk!" Xander said, pointing a finger at the copper-red hound.

Cavall looked towards him boredly, "Course Ah kin talk ya twit, now be quiet, Red Forman is talking."

"Did that dog just tell me to shut up?" Xander asked no one in particular.

"Too right I did, now _shush_! My show is on," Cavall demanded.

Janna just laughed, and after a minute, Xander joined in, chuckling at his own expense. "Dinner was great, thanks," Xander said after a moment.

"Not a problem. What are you going to do now? Have you completed your daily quest?"

Xander gave her a thumbs up. "Already done, oh, what was your daily like?"

"All I had to do was cast twenty spells in a day," Janna admitted with a sheepish smile on her face.

Xander had a deadpan look on his face. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Janna gave her head a little shake. "No, unfortunately not, but if you think about it, because your a Ranger/Fighter gestalt class, it makes sense that you need to be physically fit. Both of those classes require extreme feats of strength and dexterity."

"What do you get by cast cantrips like its nothing?" Xander asked petulantly.

Now Janna was feeling worse. "An increase to my Intelligence and Constitution?"

Xander ran a hand down his face and sighed. "I feel like the game is gypping me." His face rapidly took on a shocked expression when he realized what he had just said, and more importantly, whom he'd said it in front of, "Um, I uh… Shit, I'm so sorry."

Janna was more than understanding though. "It's alright Alex I know you didn't mean anything negative by it. The fact you even apologized means a lot to me, thank you. Here in America it's just another term for being swindled. In other places though, people call people like me gypsies, swindlers."

"Well, we also have terms like having a gypsies' soul meaning you never stay in one place too long," Xander added. "Still, I _really am_ sorry if I offended you."

"You're fine Alex, really," Janna assured him, "So what are you going to do now? You don't have any homework, I checked with the rest of the staff before I left today."

"Umm do they know about this... arrangement?" Xander asked warily.

"They do, Snyder _doesn't_ because he's an asshole," Janna swore.

Xander heaved a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was Snyder of all people knowing his teacher was taking him and away from a less than stellar home life. "Thank God… what do they know exactly?"

"That you admitted you me your home life was getting too difficult to bare and it was adversely affecting your schoolwork," Janna replied. "The fact your still maintaining a C+ average is nothing short of impressive considering you go on nightly patrols and come from a…" Janna trailed off uncomfortably.

"Abusive home?" Xander finished for her. "It's okay to just say it Jan, I… don't like it, but trying to _avoid _saying it altogether just makes it seem even worse."

Janna nodded in reply, "I understand Alex. But yes, the fact you go on nightly patrols and come from an abusive home make it amazing that your able to do as well as you do in school."

"Thanks, I may not be a superbrain like Willow, but I do alright," Xander said sounding a bit happy with himself before he asked, "How… how did the other teachers react?"

"I had to stop Ms. Litto from finding out where you lived and Dr. Clarke told her she was being too overt and suggested cyanide. Rupert was… well I've never seen him so angry before."

Xander blinked. "G-man was upset? Is that even possible?"

The Romani nodded. "It didn't show on his face, but I could see a vein in his temple _throbbing_. Plus he kept making subconscious clenching motions with his hands like he was strangling something… probably your father if I had to guess. Mrs. Tishler said she always wondered if you were really happy-go-lucky or if there was more to it than that."

"Oh no, not that fruitloop," Xander said with a sigh."

"Alex, she means well," Janna chided. Even if she can be a bit much at times."

"She tried to make me give up Twinkies. That's not gonna happen… Ever," Xander said resolutely his arms folded.

Janna shook her head. "They really _are _terrible for you, you know? There's a damn good reason only twinkies and cockroaches can survive a nuclear explosion."

"Not you too Jan!" Xander cried as if betrayed.

"Every once in a while isn't bad, but certainly not daily. It would defeat the purpose of your workout."

"True, true. Can't be vamp dusting ready if I'm Twinkie stuffed. Speaking of being vamp ready, I'm gonna head off and read the Rabbi's old journal. The Path said it was a skill book, but I never looked it over," Xander said getting up and rinsing off his bowl and Cavalls before putting them in the dishwasher.

"Good idea, I should start reading Wizarding for Dummies as well," Janna shook her head in amused disbelief. "I _still _can't believe that such a powerful item is called that."

"I know right, whoever is in charge of this game has a sense of humor. Night Janna."

"Night Xander, don't stay up too late, we _both_ still need to be at school tomorrow," the Romani reminded him.

Xander nodded. "Yeah, no problem. If I'm not around when you wake up don't worry okay? I'll just be going for my morning run."

With that, Xander returned to his room.

**~FotP~**

Xander lay on his bed and pulled the Hunter's Journal out of his Inventory. He got a popup window saying, "**This is a skillbook, would you like to read it now?**

**Yes/No?"**

Xander clicked on yes, and got another popup. "**You have gained the Skill [Favored Enemy].** If you have a class that would already give you this skill you simply get one additional choice to choose from in your favored Enemy List. Favored Enemies are listed below:

**Aberration**

**Animal**

**Construct**

**Dragon**

**Elemental**

**Fey**

**Giant**

**Humanoid (aquatic)**

**Humanoid (dwarf)**

**Humanoid (elf)**

**Humanoid (goblinoid)**

**Humanoid (gnoll)**

**Humanoid (gnome)**

**Humanoid (halfling)**

**Humanoid (human)**

**Humanoid (orc)**

**Humanoid (reptilian)**

**Magical beast**

**Monstrous humanoid**

**Ooze**

**Outsider (air)**

**Outsider (chaotic)**

**Outsider (earth)**

**Outsider (evil)**

**Outsider (fire)**

**Outsider (good)**

**Outsider (lawful)**

**Outsider (native)**

**Outsider (water)**

**Plant**

**Undead**

**Vermin monstrous**

Xander automatically picked undead. Anything that would make killing vamps easier was good in his book.

"**Congratulations, by choosing Undead as your [Favored Enemy] you gain a +2 on bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks, and a +2 bonus on weapon damage against this enemy type."**

"Well that's useful. Is there anyway I can tell how much damage I'm doing or what level my enemies are?"

"**The ability to see enemy levels is determined by your Perception which is a combination of your Listen and Spot Skills plus your Wisdom Modifier. This feature must also be turned on in the options menu," **A popup told him.

"Options," Xander growled out. Xander checked the box that showed everyone's levels and nodded to himself. Then he looked at the other things in the options menu, and something else caught his eye. "Enable journal mode?"

"**Journal mode grants you a magical indestructible journal that you can use to prepare your spells, keep track of quests, and comes with a map that you can use to direct you towards objectives. The Options and Settings menus can also be reached via the Journal as well. A journal can only be used by its owner and cannot be destroyed by any means. It returns to its owner upon a mere thought."**

Xander turned on Journal Mode and was promptly hit in the head by a dark-brown hard leather book that was held shut by a brass clasp.

"Very funny jackass," Xander said as he unlocked it and began looking through it. Xander noted it had tabs sticking out the top and in fancy script. They read:

**Information**

**Inventory**

**Map**

**Options**

**Quests**

**Settings**

**Spells**

"Cool," Xander said to himself. Xander double checked his Listen and Spot stats. "So since I've got twelve in both Search and in Spot with my Wis mod added to them both I should be able to tell people's level up to level thirty. Thirty-eight if my Torchbearer title affects this too. I'm a Ranger so it's my job to identify and take out hostile threats. Time?" Xander called out.

"**10:36pm"**

"I bet this damn game is gonna wake me up at five in the morning again tomorrow, so I'd best get to sleep now. Tomorrow night though, I'm going on patrol again," Xander said to himself as he changed into his sleeping clothes before turned out his bedside lamp and went to sleep.

**~FotP~**

Spike was drawn to his sires room by her unending sobs. Grabbing a passing minion and tossing him into a cement wall with enough force to crack it, Spike game-faced and growled. "Why is my Dru crying? If you've done something to her, I promise, you'll live _just_ long enough to regret it."

The minion a beefy looking biker he'd decided to sire a few days ago for want of extra muscle rapidly shook his head. "Nah, it wasn't me boss. I dunno what has the missus so distraught. I was about to come get you. She keeps rambin' about kittens and stars. She's making less sense than she usually does."

His face going back to normal Spike muttered to himself. "Kittens and stars?" He turned back to his newest minion, Fred, he thought his name was. "Alright Fred, you tell everyone else to piss off right? I'm gonna go have a chat with my gal."

"Sure whatever you say boss… and it's Jim by the way," The biker corrected.

"Just get going… fucking ponce," Spike said as the vampire lumbered off. He then tapped gently on his sires door and said, "Drue love, can I come in?"

"Of course William. The stars are speaking to me loudly tonight."

Getting an invitation, Spike let himself into his century long lovers room. It was decorated with various expensive dolls, with white christmas lights strung up everywhere to represent the stars of the night sky. Sitting up in a large four poster bed propped up on many pillows with Miss Edith, her favorite doll by her side, was Drusilla. She had been weakened ever since she was tortured earlier that year in Prague. He'd hoped bringing her to the Hellmouth would fix her but even its influx of evil energies could only do so much it seemed.

"What's wrong poppit?" Spike said taking up a chair next to the bed and taking one of the madwoman's hands in his.

"William oh Willam the stars! They scream at me!" Drusilla said as she gripped his hands tightly, her own eyes not leaving the twinkling Christmas lights.

Spike gently patted Dru's hand and said, "What are the stars tellin' you love?"

"Kitten, he has sharp silver claws now, William, and fangs of sharpened oak. He sleeps now, but earlier he was on the prowl, hunting. Hunting us and any others who he sees as prey. He was once prey but now he is the predator."

"Kitten? Do you mean the Slayer love?" Spike asked. '_No she said he.' _

Drusilla shook her head. "Kitten follows the Slayer around like a lost little puppy. Forlorn, forevermore… or maybe not?"

"So the Slayer has friends does she?" Spike said with a smirk. "Interesting tidbit that is. Stars tell you anythin' else love?"

Drusilla said, " Just that Daddy's in town."

Spikes eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Angelus? Yeah we've bumped into each other a couple times already. Fucking prat. Some granddad he is."

A tentative knocking came at the door. "Ah, Mr. Spike, sir?"

"What is it Dalton?" Spike yelled in annoyance. "I asked not to be disturbed."

"Y-Yes, of course I'm terribly sorry but I-I do believe I have a lead on curing Miss Drusilla's condition? And you told me to tell you if I found anything immediately if you recall?"

"Right, right, get in here then," Spike turned to Drusilla, "You don't mind a bit of extra company for a moment do you love?"

"It's fine dear," Drusilla replied.

A studious looking balding vampire with a goatee covering his chin meekly stepped into the room. Wearing a white shirt, vest and slacks. His attire only added to his nerdy air. He sent Drusialla shy smile, "Pleasure to finally m-make your acquaintance miss. Lovely doll collection. A majority of these are original Elizthian unless I miss my guess?"

"Enough with the chit-chat," Spike said, shooting Dalton a glare he continued, "You said you found something yeah? So out with it."

"Y-Yes of course. I have found reference to an ancient tome, called the Du Lac Manuscript that was written by a heretical excommunicated Catholic Priest of the same name. In it, he was said to have written down ancient spells and rituals that could either bring a vampire back to full strength, or destroy them utterly."

Spike grinned as he rubbed his chin, "Right sound promising… where do we find this book?"

"I-I'm not a betting man sir, but if I had to place a bet, such a tome would likely be in the personal collection of the current Slayer's Watcher."

Right, so we just gotta break into Slayer HQ, get passed the Slayer, and her Watcher and steal a book? I… think we can manage this with a dozen guys or so."

"Spike," Drusilla grabbed his arm. "You'll need more than that if you want your book… trust mummy."

Spike nodded seriously. It wasn't often Drusilla gave out such serious warnings, but when she did, he knew better than to not listen. "Alright love," He turned to Dalton who was silently waiting for orders. "Dalton, go round up the boys. We've a heist to plan."

"Y-Yes sir!" Dalton rushed out of the room.

Spike the Bloody was going to get his hands on that book, even if he had to go through the Slayer to get it.

* * *

**Word Count: 21,218** **Number of Pages: 81** **Date Completed: 1/10/2020**

* * *

**AN: Welcome readers one and all to yet another new fic of mine to kick off the new year with. Followers of the Path is a Gamer-esque fic using Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition/Pathfinder as a basis. This is going to be** _**long**_**, **_**fun**_**, fic everyone. So strap in. Snowy who cannot be reached for comment at the moment, is handling 'most' of the technical aspects while I handle the actual story. So it is a hard and difficult job for both of us, so if you could review and let us know what you think, that'd be great. Till next time everyone this has been a Bubbajack and IcySnowSage Production. Till next time, I'll leave you all with our glossary.**

**Glossary: **This is an in-depth look at how stats and things are going to work in this fic, for everyone interested. Aka where all the technical jargon will go.  
**  
STR:** Effects **melee damage**, **Jumping, Swimming, Climbing, **and **Carrying Capacity.** Plus 5kg **Carrying Capacity** per point of STR. The measure of your physical might.

**DEX:** Effects **Ranged damage**, including those for attacks made with bows, crossbows, throwing axes, and other ranged weapons. **Armor Class (AC)**, provided that the character can react to the attack. **Reflex saving throws**, for avoiding fireballs and other attacks that you can escape by moving quickly. **Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Tumble**, and **Use Rope** checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key ability

**CON:** Determines HP, is CON score times ten. It also provides **poison**, and other **bodily resistances** and affects **Concentration **checks.

**INT:** Intelligence determines how well your character learn and reason. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It's also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills. The number of languages you number of skill points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level.) **Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery, Knowledge, Search, **and **Spellcraft** checks. These are the skills that have Intelligence as their key ability.

**WIS:** Wisdom describes your willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one's ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one's surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for clerics and druids, and it is also important for paladins and rangers. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score. You apply your Wisdom modifier to Will saving throws (for negating the effect of charm person and other spells). **Heal, Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, **and **Survival **checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key ability.

**CHA:** Charisma measures a character's force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. It is also important for clerics, since it affects their ability to turn undead. Every creature has a Charisma score. **Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform,** and **Use Magic Device** checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key ability.

* * *

**Current Stat Sheets:**

**Xander:**

**Level:** 5

**EXP: **5,458/10,000

**STR: **14 bonus of +2

**DEX: **12 bonus of +1

**CON:** 12 bonus of +1

**INT:** 12(-2) bonus of 0

**WIS: **16 bonus of +3

**CHA: **15(-2) bonus of +1

**HP:** 150

**Mana:** 143

**Movement Speed:** 12 ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 70kg/154lbs

**AC:** 11

**Base Attack Bonus:** +0

**Fortitude Save:** +4

**Reflex Save: **+4

**Will Save:** +3+4+2+2= 11

**Feats: **

**Discipline [Regional]: **Your people are admired for their single-minded determination and clarity of purpose. You are difficult to distract by spell or blow. You gain a +2 bonus on Will saves and a +2 bonus on Concentration checks.

**Uncanny Dodge:** gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker (he still loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class if immobilized).

At 3rd level, can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the survivor. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the survivor can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

**Evasion: **At 2nd level, a survivor gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage (such as a fireball), he takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Evasion can only be used if the survivor wears light armor or no armor.

**Improved Evasion: **This ability, gained at 4th level, works like evasion, except that while the survivor still takes no damage on a successful Reflex save against spells such as fireball or a breath weapon, he now takes only half damage on a failed save. The survivor's training allows him to get out of harm's way with incredible speed.

**Damage Reduction: **At 5th level, a survivor gains the ability to shrug off 5 points of damage from each blow or attack. Subtract 5 from the damage the survivor takes each time he is dealt damage. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not less than 0. This damage reduction stacks with any other damage reduction of the "x/—" type (such as the damage reduction that is a class feature of the barbarian).

**Vampire Hunter:** Can tell if someone is a vampire or vampire spawn within 30ft. Additionally you are immune to the dominating gaze ability of vampires and vampire spawn.

**Ironwill:** +2 to will saves and Concentration checks.

**Skills:**

**Climb rank: 0+2 (bonus STR)= 2**

**Concentration rank: 0+3 (bonus CON plus DIsciplined feat)=3**

**Craft: 0+0(bonus INT)= 0**

**Handle animal: 0+3(Bonus CHA)= 3**

**Heal: 10+3(bonus WIS)= 13**

**Hide: 12+1(bonus DEX)= 13**

**Jump: 0+2(bonus STR)= 2**

**Knowledge (planes): 4 +0(bonus INT)= 4**

**Listen: 12+3 (bonus Wis)= 19 (+4 from Torchbearer title)**

**Move Silent: 12+1(bonus DEX)= 12**

**Profession:0 +3(bonus WIS)= 3**

**Ride: 0+1(bonus DEX)= 1**

**Search: 9+0(bonus INT)= 9**

**Spot: 12+3(bonus WIS)= 19 (+4 from Torchbearer title)**

**Survival: 5+3(bonus WIS)= 8**

**Swim: 0+2(bonus STR)= 2**

**Use Rope: 0+1(bonus DEX)= 1**

* * *

**Name:** Janna Kalderash

**Race:** Human (Female) Romani Blood

**Level: **10

**EXP: **5,454/20,000

**Class:** Witch (5), Technomancer (5)

**Feats: **Spellwise (regional), Skill Focus (knowledge [engineering], Technologist (Pathfinder), Accursed Hex(pathfinder), Night Sky Hex (Pathfinder)

**Stats:**

**STR: **13 bonus of +1

**DEX: **13 bonus of +1

**CON:** 11 bonus of 0

**INT:** 18(-2) bonus of +4

**WIS: **12(-2) bonus of +0

**CHA: **12(-2) bonus of +0

**HP:** 170

**Mana:** 140

**Movement Speed:** 12 ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 65kg/143lbs

**AC:** 11

**Base Attack Bonus:** +2+2

**Fortitude Save:** +1+1

**Reflex Save: **+1+1

**Will Save:** +4+4

**Feats:**

**Spellwise [Regional]: **You receive a +2 bonus on all Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks. You also get a +2 bonus on saving throws against illusion spells or effects.

**Skill Focus [Engineering]: **Choose a skill, You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving that skill.

**Technologist: **You are familiar with the basic mechanics of technology. You are considered to be trained in any skill used against a technology-based subject. If the skill in question requires training to use even against non-technological subjects, you must still have ranks in that skill in order to gain the benefit of Technologist.

**Accursed Hex: **When you target a creature with a hex that cannot target the same creature more than once per day, and that creature succeeds at its saving throw against the hex's effect, you can target the creature with the same hex a second time before the end of your next turn. If the second attempt fails, you can make no further attempts to target that creature with the same hex for 1 day.

**Night Sky Hex: **When you gain this feat, choose one hex that you can use to affect no more than one opponent. When you are in view of the night sky and use that hex, increase the save DC of that hex by 2.

**Skills:**

**Craft:0 +3=**

**Bluff: 9 +0=9**

**Heal:0+0=0**

**Intimidate:0+0=0**

**Knowledge( Arcana) 17+3=20**

**Knowledge (engineering): 17+3+6=26**

**Linguistics:0+0=0**

**Spot:0+0=0**

**Listen:0+0=0**

**Spellcraft: 17+3=20**

**Use Magic Device: 17+0=17**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Followers of the Path**

**By: Bubbajack**

**Beta: IcySnowSage**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS, DnD, Pathfinder, or any other game mechanic based work that makes it into this fic. Be they LN, Anime, or Korean Comic of some sort.**

**Ch.2: The Dungeon and the Don.**

**~FotP~**

Just like he assumed The Path woke him up bright and early at the crack of dawn and after getting dressed in sweats he headed downstairs to get himself something to eat. He was surprised when he smelt breakfast already cooking on the stove. Poking his head around the corner he found Janna was already up and making eggs and sausage. "Hey you're up early Jan."

The Romani woman smiled at him as she spoke, "Hello Alex, and actually I usually get up around this time in the morning. As a teacher, I'm expected to be at school earlier than my students. I need to boot up all the computers and such. So you getting up early to go for your morning run is a good thing actually."

"Huh, guess so," Xander said as he set the table for two and set a plate by Janna so Cavall could get his portion.

As Xander sat at the table, not wanting to get in Janna's way, Cavall dragged himself into the kitchen his tail drooping. Yawning as he made his way to his water bowl he said, "Mornin' Mum, morning Alpha. Wot's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and sausage Cavall," Janna said placing Cavall's share of the food on the ground for him and the rest on the table for herself and Xander.

"Nice. Could use some tea, toast, and black pudding though, for a _proper_ English breakfast Mum."

Janna just smiled and shook her head, "I'm _not _English Cavall… and how do you even know what a proper English breakfast is?"

"I couldn't sleep last night so I got up and watched the tellie, ended up on the food channel," Cavall explained as he trotted over to his food.

"See anything good on there last night?" Xander asked conversationally.

"Steaks," Cavall replied as he dug into his food for a bit. "Lot's of steaks. Makes me wanna go to Texas and NYC."

Xander chuckled a bit before he dug into his own meal. "Well, it's not like we're lacking in funds. We could certainly afford a couple of first class plane tickets and fly down to New York for the day sometime. It'd be nice to get some training done off the Hellmouth if I'm being honest. As long as we're here, we're at a disadvantage."

Janna nodded at her… ward she supposed for the time being, had a point. "True, being in Sunnydale means we need to try twice as hard to level up. Were we to get out of the range of its influence, we could level up faster."

Xander nodded solemnly as he ate his meal. "Yeah but from what I gathered from last year, things usually stay pretty hectic around here until summer, and even then, they don't settle down completely."

Janna nodded. "I noticed as much myself. So a summer vacation of leveling off the Hellmouth… sounds intriguing… provided you'll still be staying here of course."

A sudden tension filled the air, but only for a moment at Janna's final words. Xander looked down for a moment before he smiled. "I'm certainly considering staying yeah."

The Romani blinked surprised, "A-Are you really?"

"Yeah, I thought about it and you're… you're right. My parents don't treat me right, do they?"

Janna shook her head. "No Alex they don't. You don't deserve the verbal abuse you've had to put up with from them."

The teen tapped his chest as his reply. "I know that _here_," Then he tapped his head, "I just don't know it here, _yet_."

Janna patted Alexander on the arm comfortingly. "Don't worry Alex, you just need time."

The teen nodded. "Well, I've got plenty of that… and you're sure you don't mind me sticking around?"

"Perish the thought!" Janna told him with just a bit of force. "I'd like you… to think of this place as your home. But barring that, at least be able to think of it as your home away from home."

Xander gave a small smile. "Home huh? Sounds nice," He turned to Cavall, "Wanna join me on my morning run buddy?"

"Sure why not?" The dog said as he stretched, "My legs could use as stretch."

"It's a six mile run," Xander warned. "Three miles both ways."

"I'm no old dog," Cavall barked, affronted. "Now let's go!"

Cavall raced to the door and looked back at Xander, his tail wagging in expectation.

"Well, I'd best not keep him waiting, do you want me to put my things in the dishwasher before I go or?"

"I'll handle it don't worry," Janna told him with warmth and kindness coloring her tone.

"Right, let's go boy," Xander said grabbing a jacket as he headed for the door.

**~FotP~**

Xander stopped and turned around when The Path informed him he'd reached the halfway point in his daily run. Cavall was right beside him panting a bit. "Sure you're up for this?"

"Shut yer gob," The Cayhound snapped, "I'ma fine, I'ma fine! Just need a moment to catch my breath is all."

"Sure thing buddy," Xander said with a bit of a smirk on his face.

"Shut up. Try and keep up wit me why don'cha!" The Caypup said as he ran off.

Xander just shook his head as he ran off after the stubborn dog.

By the time they arrived back at the house, Cavall's tail was drooping and he was moving at a slow trot. "Too much?" Xander said as he opened the door for his canine friend.

"Nah, I just… just need to get used to it is all," The copper red hound made his way over to his water bowl and gulped half of it down before letting out a satisfied sigh. "Ahh, now that's better."

"I'm gonna go shower and get ready for school when I come back down, I'll turn the tv on for you."

"Don't worry mate, I got it covered," Cavall told him, pushing the power button with his paw and doing the same to flip through channels.

"Smart dog," Xander said with a smirk as he headed towards the stairs.

"Yeah, fuck you too pal!" Cavall barked after him with no heat in his tone, causing Xander to laugh as he trudged up the stairs to get ready for his obligatory eight hours of hell for five days a week.

**~FopT~**

Arriving at school on time from Janna's place was a bit tricky. Xander actually had to use the Map function in his Journal just so he could find his way and arrive on time. But arrive he did, and just in time to see someone he'd never noticed before heading towards the doors. Seeing that he looked lost, he stopped and said, "Hey man, you lost? Can I help you?"

The guy in question turned around, and smiled at him disarmingly. He reminded Xander of himself dark-brown hair, brown eyes, and tall. He had that thing Cordelia kept telling him he lacked, what was it again? Ah, fashion sense. That was it. He was wearing an orange shirt and khaki pants, that looked good with his kicks.

"Yeah, I was looking for a girl who used to go to my old school? Buffy Summers. Do you happen to know her?"

'_A friend from Buffy's old school? From LA? Well, I mean… it's entirely possible right? Since he's not on fire right now he's clearly not a vamp so…' _Xander decided to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. "I know her yeah, follow me… uh?"

"Sorry, Billy, Billy Fordham, but everybody calls me Ford," He held a hand out for Xander to shake which he did.

"Nice to meet you Ford. I'm Xander and yeah Buffy likes to hang out in the library, it's nice and quiet. It's this way dude, follow me."

Leading him past the quad, Xander questioned, "So you just coming for a visit?"

"I'm moving here actually," Ford's reply startled Xander though it didn't show on his face, not that Ford could see it, being a step or two behind him.

"Really? I gotta say, you might wanna rethink that man."

Xander could practically hear the frown in the other boy's tone when he asked, "Really? Why's that?"

"Sunnydale is nice enough, but it has a serious gang and drug problem. Gangs on PCP roam the streets at night looking for their next fix, and if you're not careful, you could get busted up if you're lucky… if you're not, you might just end up in a morgue."

Ford chuckled awkwardly, "Are you punking the new guy or something man?"

Xander stopped and turned looking Ford dead in the eye. He then shook his head. "No, no I'm not. This place gets dangerous after the sun goes down Ford. For your own sake, and Buffy's please, be careful."

Ford nodded taking Xander's warning seriously. "Right, thanks for the heads up Xander. But if its so dangerous around here, then why stay?"

Xander turned and kept walking for a time before he replied. "Everyone has their reasons I suppose. Mine is, I lost my best friend and brother to the gangs… and I'm not going anywhere until I get payback."

"... Damn, sorry dude," Ford said after a moment.

"It's all good, we're here," Xander motioned into the library.

As he walked in he was immediately noticed by the Slayer due to his Hawaiian shirt. "Hey Xander! It's been awhile Willow and I were starting to think you'd… Who's that… Ford!?"

"Hey Buffy," Ford gave her a little wave, "Been a minute huh?"

As the Slayer ran to greet her old friend from Los Angeles and Willow more timidly made her way over to introduce herself, Xander had his attention drawn by the Librarian/Watcher who was motioning him over. "Sup Gman? All good on the slayage front without me?"

"Yes, all's well done and dusted," Giles said as he polished his glasses, before motioning to his office. "Do you mind too terribly if we speak in my office for a moment Xander?"

"Is this about my parents Gman?" Xander asked cutting to the point.

"I… yes." Giles abruptly admitted.

Xander sighed. "Fine, but let's make it quick yeah? First period starts soon."

"Quite," The Watcher said opening his door and allowing Xander in first before following after him and shutting the door behind him. Seeing Xander just standing there he motioned for him to sit down, "Do have a seat. Tea, biscuit?"

Sitting down, Xander asked. "Biscuit means cookie right?"

"Yes," Giles replied handing the teen a tin with English Sugar cookies in it. Xander took one.

An awkward air lingered in the room. "Gman, if you've got something to say, just say it."

Giles sighed. "I just wish you would've come to me Xander. I could've… I could've helped."

Xander shrugged. "It's cool man, you've kinda got your own baggage to deal with. It's called Buffy."

Giles sheepishly admitted. "She can be… challenging at times but…"

"She's a teenage _girl _with super strength, agility, and innate fighting skills Giles. And it's your job to basically teach her everything she needs to know, when she wants nothing to do with this gig while simultaneously being a surrogate father figure for her. It's a tough job I get it."

Giles blinked owlishly at Xander's explanation. "You are… very astute Xander. More than I've ever given you credit for. And for that I apologize. I also apologize for not noticing the signs of abuse sooner. Please if there is anything I can do to make up for this oversight do let me know."

Xander shrugged as he replied, "I stopped viewing Tony as my dad years ago Gman. He's just someone I needed to put up with until I turn eighteen… then him and Jessica would probably kick me out of the house."

Giles frowned. "About your living arrangements with Mrs. Calendar. How is that working out?"

The teen cocked his head to the side. "Jenny? She's great. I've got my own room and it _isn't _in the basement next to all the Christmas stuff."

"I… I see well that's a relief," What Xander couldn't see was that beneath the desk, Giles was clenching his fist so hard it had turned white.

"Yeah now I have a room that gets actual sunlight which is nice, oh, and I'm not living off of frozen meals either. Jenny actually _cooks_, that's a plus."

"I'm sure it is," It was taking all of Giles' self control not to let _Ripper _out and plan the Harris' demise. He had more than enough ammunition to do so and plenty of means. But that was a slippery slope, it had been so very long ago since he walked that dark path. His recent brush with Ethan notwithstanding. He dare not go down it again.

'_But it would be so bloody easy mate,'_ A sly voice in his head said. '_Just an inhibition lowering hex on the house, let em get sauced like they usually do, and sit back and watch the fireworks. The Police'll label it a crime of passion. Murder-suicide while under the influence and then, yer boy'll be safe.'_

Giles did his best to ignore _Ripper_ in the back of his head. He wasn't that person anymore. He stopped dabbling in dark magic a long time ago.

'_Oh you did more than dabble and we both know it Gman,'_ Ripper taunted him. '_That mark you keep hidden on your arm is proof innit?'_

"Giles," Xander said concerned to the point of using his actual name. "Are you okay man?"

The Watcher snapped himself out of his daze. "Hmm, yes I'm perfectly fine, thank you, Xander."

Xander let his gaze wander around the office while Giles collected himself. His eyes landed on the broken remains of a marble bust. Sitting on top of a filing cabinet.

"**Side Quest: Retrieve and Repair the Bust of Janus.**

**Reward: 200EXP, Divine Favor**

**Failure: No EXP, no Divine Favor."**

Xaner blinked. He knew something was going on now,"Gman, what's with the broken statue?"

"Hmm, oh, that," The Watcher said with distaste. "It's a bust of the Roman god Janus. Ethan Rayne used it to summon an aspect of his power halloween night, that of Chaos."

"Ah… is that all Janus represents? Chaos?"

"Um no, he's a god of duality so peace and war, winter and summer, fall and spring, good, evil light, and dark, chaos and law thing like that fall under his domain. Some also consider him a god of portals as he represented doors, coming and going to the Romans."

"Wow, big portfolio," Xander noted.

"Indeed, why do you ask?" Giles interest in Xanders sudden interest in a more obscure Roman God wasn't lost.

"Curiosity mostly, plus I kinda wanna see if I can repair it," Xander admitted going for the direct approach.

Giles blinked "Repair it, whatever for?"

"Jenny told me I'm an experiential learner not a formal one. That I learn by doing. So I guess this is just another way for me to learn something? I know its weird but…" He shrugged. "It'll give me something to do honestly besides homework."

Giles thought about it. '_Well, it's not like Xander is a wizard or any other type of magic user. So what's the harm?' _Clearing his throat he said, "I don't see why not. Swing by after school and I'll give you the pieces alright?"

Xander smiled. "Thanks Gman."

The bell rang, and Xander stood up, "Gotta go man."

"Goodbye Xander."

The teen stopped at the door shortly to say, "Like I said earlier, I haven't considered Tony my dad for years now. But around the start of school last year, I found someone I look up to like a dad. Even if he is a bit of a stiff."

Giles was puzzled, "What do you… Me?!"

The Englishman never got an answer, as Xander had already left.

**~FotP~**

"So I had a chat with Gman before class today," Xander began as he and Janna had lunch in the computer room like they usually did. They were eating leftovers from the other night. Not that Xander cared. Even reheated, it tasted a thousand times better than any of the slop the school served or any Hungry Man dinner he'd ever had. "He's letting me have the broken shards of the bust of Janus which is a side quest apparently."

Janna nodded as she picked at her goulash. "I got the notification… is that _all _you talked about?"

"He brought up my former home situation too," The teen admitted with an annoyed sigh, "It was a little awkward, but we got through it."

"Well, at least you know other people care Alex."

"Yeah, I guess. It's just a bit weird you know? I'm used to them all ignoring my very existence now they're giving me all these encouraging smiles and stuff… it's a _tad _creepy."

Janna rolled her eyes. "We're people you know, not just machines that dole out boring knowledge?"

"_Really_? No way! Le gasp!"

"Shut up and finish your lunch, it's almost time for the bell, and I know you have a book report due in a week for history class by the way," Janna gave him a sharp knowing look, "What are you going to do it on?"

"I was considering the effects of World War II and the effects it had on the Romani people? What?" He asked upon seeing her surprised look. "We're living together Jan, I'd be a _real _idiot if I didn't try and take advantage of that on occasion."

"Your Wisdom stat really is doing wonders for you Alex," bemused Janna

Xander chuckled at her blunt statement, "Yeah, the increased Int helps too."

A knock came at the door to the computer lab and Janna put on her 'teacher face' before she called out to the person at the door, "Come in."

A student entered, he was someone Xander had interacted with rarely. Someone he saved twice. Once from 'Mrs. French' and from Ampheta, Jonathan Levinson. He was a tad awkward like Xander himself, but he tried to be more social. He kept trying, and failing, to get in with the popular crowd. Xander had to admire his persistence and tenacity though.

"Hi, Mrs. Calendar? I wanted to ask you about the assignment from the other day?" Johnathan said awkwardly.

Janna smiled encouragingly, "Of course Mr. Levinson, what seems to be the problem?"

Johnathan noticed Xander, "Oh, hey Harris, you serving lunch detention or something man? I knew you were a rebel, but not that much of one. Especially with Ms. Calendar I thought of all people it would have been Snyder."

Xander laughed when he heard that. "Nah man, I'm not in trouble or anything, I just enjoy eating in here, it's quieter. And I'm trying to win Ms. Calendar over with my charms," he stage whispered.

"It's not working," Janna whispered back, causing the three of them to laugh.

"Seriously though, I owe you like twice over Harris," Johnathan said his tone shifting to a more serious note.

"What for man?"

Johnathan looked at Xander like he'd grown a second head. "Um for saving me from having my head bitten off by a giant mantis and then a soul sucking zombie chick?"

Xander's eyes widened. "Oh, you actually remember that?"

"Dude, something tried to kill me, _twice_! Of course I _fucking_ remember it… sorry ma'am," He said apologizing to his computer teacher.

Janna blinked. "It's… it's quite alright Mr. Levinson. Alex and myself are just surprised. It's just most people here in Sunnydale choose to _forget_ their encounters with the supernatural."

Johnathan shook his head, "Not me. I lost too many friends over the years. All of them get labeled as runaways or troubled youths Rodney Munson… he loved his folks. He'd never run away from home. I think the zombie chick did him in."

'_Ampata…'_ Xander thought to himself. "I think she was his first victim, and the reason she was released in the first place. He was fooling around near the exhibit and broke her seal."

Johnathan sighed, "Yeah sounds like Rod, he always was goofing off. So is this the part where you threaten me to keep silent or else? Leaving the or else up to my imagination?"

Xander and Janna chuckled. "No," Janna said, "The good guys don't usually do such things."

"Well considering your not working within the law but outside of it, the best you can be is Neutral Good, maybe Chaotic Good. So, meh?" Johanthan said while shaking his hand from side to side.

"Chaotic Good is my alignment if I had to pick one... So, you like Dungeons and Dragons huh?" Xander said with a mischievous smile on his face. An idea began to form is his mind.

The teen nodded. "I mained a Cleric of Illmater before everyone in my group… mysteriously kept disappearing."

"How would you like to join our DnD group John?"

Jonathan smiled a thousand watt smile. "Seriously? I'd love to join in! What campaign are you doing?!"

'_Send party Invite,'_ Xander thought as he replied, "The biggest one of all Jon, the game of life."

"What the… oh dude, no friggin' way!" Jonathan's eyes bugged out as he stared at the screen in front of him.

"**Party Invite: Welcome Johnathan Leroy Levinson. You have been formally invited by the [Player] to join the Open World Roleplaying Game known as The Path. Do you accept?**

**Yes/No?"**

"Yes, friggin' way," Xander confirmed. "So whaddya say Jon, you up for this?"

Jonathan looked from the screen back to Xander, "Why are you offering this to me? Why not Rosenberg or Summers? Assuming you already haven't of course."

"We haven't," Janna affirmed. "Though I'm curious too, why make this offer Xander?"

Xander took a breath. "Well, because your a lot like me Jon. Can I call you that?" Getting a silent nod, he continued, "I too have lost people to the _things_ in this town. Only, I decided to fight back. I didn't care if I was weak and they were strong. I was gonna take as many of these bastards with me as I could before they took me down. I'm offering you the chance to do the same, without the near suicidal tendencies. You can finally get back at these bastards for all the friends you've lost with this! So, Jonathan… are with me?"

Jonathan stared at the screen for just a moment more before he said, "Hell yeah."

'_Party stats,' _Xander thought to himself.

**Name:** Johnathan Levinson

**Race:** Human (Male)

**Level: **1

**EXP: **0/2000

**Class:** Cleric (1)

**Domain:** Endurance, Healing (Resurrection)

**Feats: **

**Stats:**

**STR: **10 bonus of +1

**DEX: **14 bonus of +2

**CON:** 9 bonus of -1

**INT:** 14(-2) bonus of +3

**WIS: **18(-2) bonus of +4

**CHA: **14(-2) bonus of +2

**HP:** 128

**Mana:** 150

**Movement Speed: **14 ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 50kg/110lbs

**AC:** 12

**Base Attack Bonus:** +0

**Fortitude Save:** +1

**Reflex Save: **+0

**Will Save:** +1

"Okay, well besides the lower than average Con score I don't really see a problem here." Xander noted.

"I'm anemic and have asthma. So that's probably why," Jonathan said mostly to himself happy at his stats but said that his poor health affected them.

"Yeah… um far be it from me to tell you what to do, but maybe when you get to level four dude…" Xander trailed off.

Jonathan nodded. "Putting an attribute point into Con."

Just then, the bell signalling the end of lunch rang. Xander looked sadly at his unfinished food before he shoveled it all into his mouth.

"Alex, you'll choke!" Janna admonished.

"Worth it," He replied after he swallowed it all down.

The Romani witch just shook her head. "Well we never did get to the original reason you came here to begin with Jonathan."

The teen just shook his head, smiling giddily, "I can't even remember myself."

"You two had best be going before your late for class. Run along now," Janna said. "I'm sure Xander will talk your ear off about skills and all the language choices."

"Oh yeah… how's that work anyway? I mean we've got dozens of human languages. Are they all covered by common or?"

"No just English," Xander replied as they left the room, "If you want the most bang for your buck, get Celestial and either Sylvan or Elemental. They give you the second most bonus languages."

Janna smiled happily watching as the two boys left. '_I think Xander is going to be okay.' _

**~FotP~**

It was another end to another weekday, but Xander didn't mind so much. He felt he'd found a kindred spirit in Jonathan Levinson. He was no replacement for Jessie like Buffy had become for Willow. Xander wasn't like that. Nothing and no one could replace his brother, but still, it was nice to have someone he could relate to again after Jessie's loss. There was one thing bugging him though. He'd never seen Ford in any of his classes nor had there been a social buzz of a new student joining the school.

'_Maybe all this monster hunting is just making me paranoid,'_ Xander thought to himself as he made his way to the front of the school, where the rest of his fellow students were rushing to get out of this hellish federally mandated prison.

"Hey man," Jonathan greeted clapping him on the shoulder.

Xander gave his new friend a nod. "Sup Jon? Did you pick your feats and languages?"

Jonathan nodded. "Yep, went with Sylvan and Celestial in the end. As for feats, I chose Strong Soul. Plus one bonus to Fortitude and Will saves and if it's against Death, Energy, or Ability Drain effects the bonus increases to plus three."

"Nice," Xander complimented. "So ready to kick some ass tonight?"

Even though he looked nervous, Jonathan nodded. "Yep, what are we doing anyway?"

"**Quest: Dungeon Crawl (Survival) Repeatable Quest.**

**Get to the end of the Dungeon without meeting an untimely end.**

**Reward: 400EXP, 150 gold.**

**Failure: Death."**

Xander blinked as he stared at the sudden screen popped up in front of him. "Well, I guess that answers that question."

**~FotP~**

The ride back to Janna's place was unusually quiet and both of them knew why. The idea of going into a potentially lethal dungeon worried them both. Each were consumed with their own thoughts. Xander was ready to fight tooth, nail, and claw to survive, while Janna was primarily worried about Xander and Jonathan's safety. She was the adult here after all and as such, she was responsible for them.

Once they pulled into the driveway, they both just sat there for a moment. Finally, Janna turned to Xander and said, "We don't _have_ to do this quest you know? There's nothing saying we _need _to do it."

Xander nodded. "True," he agreed. "But if we don't do it, who knows what will happen?" Seeing the witch's curious gaze he elaborated, "Like, say we don't do the quest, what's to stop whatever is in the dungeon from going out at night and killing people? Or maybe it's sentient and it can be reasoned with?"

"But we won't know until we go in," Janna said with a sigh.

Xander shrugged. "No, we won't. Which is why we need to do this. We're probably gonna have to carry Jonathan though. He's level one, meaning he has three cantrips and one first level spell. Though with any luck he'll level up a couple of times while we're on the quest."

The Romani sighed knowing her charge had a point. "Highly likely. So we're doing this then?"

"We have to, if we don't who will? The Slayer won't," Xander retorted with a slightly derisive tone.

Upon hearing his tone, Janna ventured a question. "Xander do you… do you hate Buffy?"

The teen shook his head. "No of course not, she's just annoyingly hypocritical. Says she doesn't want to be the _Slayer_, but doesn't mind throwing the title's weight around when it suits her. Her job is to kill _vampires_, but won't kill _Angel _because she has the hots for him and is using the excuse that he has a _soul._ Doesn't mind _Willow_ helping her kill vampires, has a problem with _me _doing it. See what I mean?"

"Oh dear," Janna frowned. "Does she have no idea what he's done, the people he's killed, the lives he's ruined before my clan cursed him with a soul?"

Xander shrugged, "Giles either hasn't told her or she's too lovestruck to care."

"Neither idea is all that great," Janna said with a grimace on her face. "But this is a problem for another time. We need to focus on tonight."

"Right, I actually need to go visit the Rabbi see if he's got any word on a pair of custom falchions for me."

"Alright, I'll take Cavall for a walk while you're gone."

"Kay, be back soon mom," Xander said getting out of the car. And leaving without a second thought.

He left Janna there stunned. '_He probably doesn't even realize what he just said the dear boy.' _Janna thought to herself as happy tears gathered in her eyes. '_Calm down Janna he probably didn't mean it and if he did well… we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.'_

Getting out of her car, Janna was in a daze as she took Cavall for a walk. The Caypup noticed his mistress was in her own world but didn't disturb her. He just stayed extra vigilant and made sure his Mum didn't walk into traffic. Whatever was on her mind seemed important, and he didn't want to interrupt.

**~FotP~**

Jonathan was going through a few things he'd collected from around his house and gathered in his room. A cross he'd had since he was little, a bible, a Croquet mallet was the closest he could come to a hammer but he figured if it could work for Jack Torrence in the Shining as a weapon, it would do for him. He also scrounged up an old cast iron pot lid to use as a makeshift shield. His weaponry was a bit makeshift, but it'd do until he could get something better he supposed. Putting it all in his inventory, something super awesome Xander told him about after recommending he turn on Journal Mode, Jonathan perused his spells.

'_What to pick?' _He thought to himself.

"**I could make some recommendations," **A voice said in the back of his mind. One that wasn't his own.

"Who said that?!" Jonathan said looking around his room and hefting his mallet. "Come out!"

"**Relax Jonathan Leroy Levinson, you're my first Cleric in… quite a long time so I figured I'd take the time to introduce myself," **The voice commented in an amused fatherly tone.

"Your Cleric… wait you're… the one who turned Xander's life into a video game?" Jonathan questioned while lowering his bludgeoning weapon.

"**Indeed, it had… unusually successful results," **the Deity commented. "**I didn't expect him to take to it so readily. Or form a party so fast. But where are my manners? I am Janus, Roman God of Duality, Peace, War, Doors, and Portals. It is nice to have a proper conversation with one of my new… devotees."**

Jonathan sat down on his bed with a thump. This was heavier than learning demons and vampires were real, an actual _Roman God_ was talking to him in his head! He took a moment to process that. Finally he said, "Um, nice to meet you too sir? Sorry, but this is _a lot _to take in. I'm gonna need a minute."

"**I understand, do take your time,**" Janus replied understandingly.

Johnathan took a few deep breaths and a pull from his inhaler just in case to ward off a potential panic attack, and finally said, "Okay, I'm good… I think. So you said you had recommendations for spells?"

"**I did, I would also like to add you need not have myself as your patron deity if you don't want to. Due to my ability to make portals, I can create a link between you and any deity of your choosing."**

The teen blinked at that. "_Any_ diety," he questioned, "Even fictional ones?"

"**Consider this your first lesson on god's Jonathan. One man's fiction, is another's reality. So yes, any deity you would like."**

"Ouch, my brain," The teen said, before taking another hit from his inhaler. "Okay then, can you patch me through to Illmater?"

"**Coming right up. Goodness I feel like a phone operator, how may I direct your phone call today sir?"**

"Sorry!" Jonathan replied quickly, "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to come off as rude."

"**Relax Jonathan, unlike **_**most**_ **gods, I have a sense of humor. It comes with being a god of duality. I'm more… **_**human **_**than most. Give me just a second and I'll link you to Illmater. Just to be clear however, this isn't a tether. Think of it more like a tunnel. Both Illmater and I will require prayer in equal measure in order for you to maintain your connection to him. Him, to access his domains, and me to channel his power in the first place, do you understand?"**

Jonathan nodded solemnly, "Yes sir, I do."

"**Good I'll leave you and Illmater to get acquainted now."**

For a moment Jonathan didn't feel or hear anything… and then he felt a surge of what he could only describe as care like a metaphysical security blanket wrapped around him, and with it came a calm warm and sympathetic voice, "**Hello Jonathan."**

"H-Hello Illmater s-sir!" Jonathan stuttered out.

"**You have felt so much pain, I'm so sorry for that," **Illmater said earnestly.

"I think things are going to get better soon if I'm going to be honest, sir." Jonathan said. Squirreling up his courage, he said, "I have Xander and Miss Calendar… but in order for things to get better I need to be strong. Strong enough to endure anything. I need to be more like you… so… will you help me?"

"**Of course my son. For I am Ilmater, I help all who but ask. And I sympathize with all regardless of circumstance. If it is strength you need, then just lean on me and I shall ease your burdens."**

Jonathan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you! I… need to choose some spells, wanna help?"

"**Certainly," Illmater replied, "Since you only get a few, choose the healing ones. Focus on keeping your comrades alive for now. You also get a spell from one of my domains. Which would you prefer?"**

"Strength," Jonathan replied almost immediately. "It's something I'm somewhat lacking in so… yeah."

"**Strength it is then,"** Jonathan felt a surge of power flow through him, before it settled in his gut, like the embers of a small flame, just waiting to flicker to life.

Johnathan then clicked on his spell tab and the journal flipped itself to the appropriate section. He looked through his available spells. He had a lot to choose from. One-hundred-sixty-six spells to be precise. But in the end, he chose only two. Cure Minor Wounds and Cure Light Wounds. Until he could unlock more powerful spells, he decided he would be the group healer and emergency damage dealer.

"**What about your second domain to draw from?"** Ilmater questioned.

"Oh, that's right I get two don't I?" Jonathan said mostly to himself. "One of your domains is resurrection right?"

"**Yes, I am assuming that's what you'd like to take?"** Ilmater asked.

"Please?" Johnathan asked. As he felt the embers in his gut grow a little hotter. Suddenly he just knew the cure light wounds spell. Since he was getting that for free he decided to change one of his spells from Cure Light Wounds to Blessed Aim, that way, even if he wasn't doing direct damage, he was still helping. '_Wait…' _Jonathan thought to himself. '_I've got a high Wis modifier so I can get another spell.' _

He skimmed through his spell list and chose Ray of Hope since it buffed basically everything short of attributes. "Yeah, I think this'll do it… I wonder where this dungeon is at anyway?"

"**You'll find out soon enough," **Janus informed him. "**For now just wait… and try not to die. It really has been a long time since I've had a cleric and I'd hate to have to find a replacement so soon."**

"I'll… do my best," was the only thing Jonathan could say at the ominous warning.

**~FotP~**

Xander meanwhile, had arrived at the Temple and called out, "Rabbi, you home man?"

"Always Alexander, always." Joseph came out of the back, a smile on his face. "What can I do for you today?"

"I came to ask if you had any word on those falchions?"

The Rabbi nodded. "Yes Mr. Singer got back with me earlier today in fact. He told me they'd cost a couple thousand dollars each unless I wanted something on the cheap side. I told him no and he said it would take anywhere from two to three weeks to make. I also placed an extra order for some more silver tipped arrows and throwing stakes. Those can be ready within a week's time and will be delivered in person by a friend of his. Goes by the name of John. One John Winchester I believe."

"Oh cool Joe," Xander pulled a pouch full of gold out of his inventory. "How much do I owe you man?"

But the holy man waved him away. "Not to worry Alexander, this one is as they say, on me."

"I gave you that gold to fix this place up, not buy me equipment Joe," Xander said obstinately, "Now, how much do I owe you?"

"You think I've even touched that sum you left for me the other day?" The Rabbi asked, "No, no no! Even here in Sunnydale my parishioners are quite generous."

"You are _not _making me feel any better Joe."

"Think of it this way my son. You are doing God's work by killing the denizens of hell. Thus, is it not fitting that your armaments come from the arms of the faithful?" wisely spoke Joseph. "Even if your job is a thankless one, you are unknowingly keeping my congregation alive. I feel the least they could do in return is pay for the tools of your trade."

"Fine, you got me by the balls here anyway," Xander added ten more gold pieces to the collection plate. "There, that should just about cover the falchions."

"May the Lord protect you my son as you hunt the demons that dwell in the dark corners of this town."

Xander then went into his inventory screen and decided to test something. He double tapped his leather armor and just like he thought, it appeared on his person. "Ha, that's handy!"

"How did you do that?" Joseph asked surprised.

"Would you believe me if I told you my life has been turned into an RPG because of magic gone strangely right?"

Joseph blinked twice… "That is not the strangest thing I've encountered in my time hunting," He said after a moment. "I'm assuming you equipped that armor from an inventory screen of some kind?"

"Got it in one padre," Xander said giving a thumbs up. As he double tapped the leather gauntlets that held his throwing stakes and they appeared on his wrists. He did the same with his hunting knives and they clipped themselves to his belt.

"I need to get my hands on some greaves and proper boots," Xander said to himself. "Really need to complete my hunter look. Maybe add a cloak or a mantle?"

"Perhaps. For now I'd take function over form my friend." Joseph advised.

"True, plus a cloak will just get in the way unless I take the cloaked fighting feat," Xander said, mostly to himself. "Anyway Joe, I'd better get going, nights coming soon and that means it's almost time to hunt."

"Good luck to you Alexander, and good hunting," Joe called as the boy left the Synagogue.

Xander raised a hand in goodbye as he walked into the twilight.

**~FotP~**

When Xander walked through the door of Janna's home he was greeted by the Romani Witch who smiled at him in a motherly fashion and said, "Well, what did Joseph say?"

Taking a seat on a chair, while absentmindedly scratching Cavall's ears as he laid his head on his knee, Xander replied, "Three weeks or less. By the way, we need to pick up Jonathan don't we?"

"I sent him directions via text. He said he'd make his way over before the sun went down," Janna replied. "Set the table for three would you?"

"Sure, what're we having?"

"Lasagna. Almost completely homemade too. The only part that was store bought were the noodles."

"You're too good to me Janna," Xander said with a smile. "You keep spoiling me like this and I'll never want to leave."

"You can stay if you want," Janna began hesitantly. "Forever I mean, like I've already said, I'd be more than happy to have you."

Xander rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Yeah but, wouldn't that involve a lot of legal mumbo jumbo. Courts and things? Hearings? I really don't want everyone at school to know about my homelife, they treat me bad enough. I don't wanna give 'em more ammo. Plus a student living with his female teacher? If my situation wouldn't get folks talking _ours _certainly would. You could lose your job if you're not careful."

And once again, Xander showed himself to be far more mature and aware than many would give him credit for thinking about the reactions that would be garnered from this type of news getting out. While she was thinking about his welfare, he was looking at the bigger picture. Thinking about both of their lives and weighing them on a scale. He valued her's more than his own while she did the same for him.

'_We really are too much alike,'_ Janna thought to herself, shaking her head as she said, "You don't need to worry about any of that. You're a teenager. The only thing you need to worry about are your grades."

"Janna," Xander deadpanned, "If I only worried about the things that concerned me, I wouldn't be going out to hunt vampires almost nightly."

"Point," The Romani conceded. "But that aside, there are some things that should be left to the adults to worry about, and this," She moved forward and embraced Xander, "This is one of them. So if you want to stay, just say it and I'll fight tooth and nail to see it happen, but make sure it's what you want. Alright?"

Xander stiffened when she hugged him and then returned the embrace after a moment's pause. Janna noticed but didn't comment on it. Yet to her it was just another strike against his parents, his father in particular. Looking down and refusing to meet her eyes, he nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I want… I want to stay if your really okay with it," The teen said at last raising his head to meet her gaze.

Janna beamed. "Really? You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'd like it if Jessica could get a divorce from Tony and maybe get some professional help on top of everything else but that's a bit of a stretch, I suppose. Also just so you know, I have an unusual and unhealthy addiction to Twinkies."

Janna laughed and then went to babble on at speeds that would put Willow to shame, "I'm sure we can get along regardless. There's so much to do! Paperwork to file, I need to call the family lawyer and get you formally inducted into the Kalderash Clan. The Wisewoman will likely want to meet you before that happens and oh this is so great!"

"Wow… your like Willow on steroids. I'm not sure if I should be amused or terrified?" Xander said to himself.

Janna slapped him on the shoulder still smiling her thousand watt smile. "Quiet you, I'm allowed to be thrilled that I practically have a son."

"Hey Mum, I hate to ruin the happy moment an all, but somethin's burnin' in the oven," Cavall reported sniffing the air.

"Gah! My lasagna!" Janna rushed off to the kitchen, yet even as she did so she received a popup.

"**Companion Quest: Behind the Facade. Complete!**

**Success: +10 Bond with Xander, +50EXP, and Legal Guardianship over one Alexander Lavelle Harris. All legal documents have already been filed. Thank you Janna for helping."**

Looking down at the Caypup gratefully, Xander said, "Thanks for getting me outta that buddy, it was getting awkward."

Cavall scratched his ear with his hind leg. "No offense mate, but I didn't do it for you, I just didn't wanna eat burnt lasagna for dinner."

"I'll take it," Xander said as the doorbell rang.

Opening it he found Jonathan standing there. Since the sun was still dipping below the horizon, he knew it was safe to invite him inside. "Hey Jon, c'mon in."

"Sup Xan? You got here before me?" Jonathan asked.

Xander didn't see the point in lying. "I'm kinda living here at the moment dude."

"Oh… okay, I guess that makes things easier huh?" Johnathan said.

"You aren't gonna ask why I'm living here?"

Jonathan gave Xander a pointed look, "Dude, you're literally letting me live my dream of being an actual Dungeon and Dragons character, and you're also willing to be my friend which not a lot of people are. As far as I'm concerned, the reason your staying here is none of my damn business."

Xander blinked at Jonathan's blunt honesty with not asking questions, "Well, okay then. You arrived just in time for dinner. Hope you like lasagna."

"Love it as long as it's not that fake eggplant crap."

Now it was Xander's turn to give the other boy a look. "Do I look like the type to eat eggplant lasagna to you?"

"Point," Jonathan conceded. "Still gotta be sure, my mom, pure blooded italian bless her heart, went on a health kick once and made that stuff…" Jonathan shuddered, "I swore to myself never again man.."

Janna came out of the kitchen carrying a giant pan of the good stuff. "Well you don't have to worry about any of that here Jonathan. While I do put peppers in mine so it might be a little different than you're used to, it should still taste better than a vegan dish."

"Peppers huh?" Johnathan licked his lips. "Bring it on. I've always wanted to ask Miss Calendar and I hope this doesn't seem rude, but where do you come from?"

"I'm a Roma from Romania, I'm a first generation immigrant."

"Oh, your a modern day pioneer, at least that's what my mom always calls Romani since they move around in wagons all the time. Like the pioneers did back in the day. She's a European History teacher at UC Sunnydale."

Janna blinked for a moment before she smiled and flushed just a little. "That… is the sweetest thing I think I've ever been called. Thank your mother for me Jonathan."

"Yes ma'am, it's a bit of a pain having a teacher for a mom, she's always bugging me about doing well in school."

"Trust me, I know the feeling," Xander sent Janna a look causing the woman to blush again.

"Academics are important," Janna defended, "Besides I'm sure your mother would love for you to be on campus with her at some point."

"Are academics more important than not getting eaten by a demon or a vampire Miss Calendar? Because I don't think so. In fact, considering how oblivious just about everyone in this town is about the fact that demons, vampires and monsters not only exist but are in this town and want to kill them all, its amazing we aren't all dead yet. Well, that and it makes my worry about things like grades seem very superfluous. Also my friend Andrew was always better at studying and school in general."

After a moment of shocked silence Xander whistled and said, "Wow, you've been wanting to let that out for awhile now huh?"

"Yes!" Johnathan said, hissing through his teeth and releasing a sigh, "But who would even listen to me without thinking I'd gone crazy?"

"It's a hard knock life for us Johnny."

"You can say that again Little Orphan Annie. So whose this?" he said noting Cavall who had his own plate on the floor that he was licking clean, "Sandy?"

"I beg your pardon you fanny boy! My names Cavall and you best remember it unless you want me gnawing your bits off, savvy?"

Jonathan reared back in his chair due to shock. "It talks?!"

"Ah do ya Fanny boy, an if yer smart, you'll remember the pecking order."

"Pecking order?" Jonathan questioned.

"Aye, it goes Yew, the dirt in the yard, the worms _in_ the dirt in the yard, ma _shit_, the fire hydrant ah _pissh_ on, Mum, Me, and Alpha."

"Why an I lower on the pecking order than you Cavall?"

"Yer me Mum, and I love ya, but when it comes right down to it, I'm the one who has to charge in'ta the fray so you kin cast yer spells."

Janna smiled. Her Cavall really was a trooper. "Would you like seconds Cavall?"

"Oh I thought you'd never ask Mum, bless your kind heart," Cavall said, his tail wagging.

"Wow, I'm lower on the totem pole than a dog…" Jonathan said to himself

"Pecking order bitch!" Cavall said as his mistress placed another plate of lasagna in front of him.

"Language Cavall," Janna chastised.

"Yes Mum, sorry Mum," Cavall apologized before he dug into his food.

Once everyone had finished eating, some last minute checks were made and Xander checked the map feature of his Journal. "Okay so where do we need to go?"

"**Quest Update: Dungeon (Survival): Head to the sewers below town and face what lurks there."**

"Well, that answers that, everyone ready for this?" receiving a trio of nods one of which came from a dog, Xander put his hands on his hunting knives. "Then let's do this."

**~FotP~**

Getting into the sewers under Sunnydale wasn't exactly hard. All it took was the tire iron from Janna's car, and a bit of muscle and they had a manhole cover off and the trio were descending down a ladder, with Cavall just teleporting down once he knew where he was going. The moment he found out he was going into the sewers Xander bought a trio of headlights using the hundred bucks he found in the house the other day. This way, they could all see and wouldn't be hindered by having to carry a flashlight in one hand. While blindness wasn't a problem, the smell certainly was.

"God this reeks," Jonathan said suppressing his gag reflex.

"It is certainly unpleasant," Janna agreed with a grimace.

Xander just shrugged. "I've smelled worse, and been covered in _a lot more_ foul smelling things when Buffy slays certain demons. A lot of them explode into goo when they die."

"Summers kills demons?" Jonathan asked surprised.

"Now isn't the time for this Jonny. Watch our six. Jan, our three and nine, Cavall eyes up front, I'm going to scout ahead," Xander whispered orders like a drill sergeant.

"Aye, aye Alpha, no one'll be sneakin' up on the pack while I'm about," Cavall promised.

Xander nodded before he used his hide ability to skulk forwards, dimming his light to nothing. He closed his eyes and allow his hearing to sharpen trusting in his listening skill to guide him. Xander inched forward his ears keen and listening for the sounds of skittering feet on stone. All he heard at the moment was the steady drip, drip of sewer water as it formed puddles and sloshed into the river of sewage off to his right.

Taking a slow step forward Xander felt his foot press against something. He stopped immediately and drew back. Drawing one of his knives he reached down with the blade and found a taut wire.

'_I almost walked into a trap… meaning whatever is down here is smart enough to make them in the first place. So cunning, likes dark dank places, and is smart enough to make and use traps…. Could be Drow, Kobolds, or Goblins. All three have darkvision so they wouldn't need torches… I really hope it's Goblins and not Drow,'_ Xander thought to himself as he took a few steps back and cut the tripwire, causing three spears to jut out of a small pipe a step or two ahead at piston speed.

'_Well that isn't something a Drow would do I 'think', so that rules them out. If this dungeon was filled with Drow that trap would've been filled with poison darts, and I would've died a slow painful death,' _Or so Xander reasoned to himself. He moved forwards more cautiously now, knowing whatever he couldn't see, could likely see him perfectly in this pitch blackness. With that thought in mind, he didn't see the point in not having his headlamp on, not when he was depriving himself of a sense his opponent would have either way. '_If they see me coming they see me coming,' _Xander thought with a grimace as he continued to move forwards.

He disabled a handful of traps as he kept going, his spot check doing him wonders. Rusty bear traps, debris held up by precariously ropes, and even Vietnam level punji sticks covered in feces were getting flung at him at one point, but Xander was fast on his feet. Then he noticed it, a bright warm light.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Todo," Xander said to himself as he crept forwards. Rounding the bend, low to the ground as he could get, Xander's eyes widened. For he found a fortress made of trash and discarded junk. It rose over a giant pit from which the sewage drained. Rusty and old metal consisting of air conditioners to box cars and various scrap metal to garbage and trash of all sorts had been piled up into a defensive wall that lead from one side of the sewer to the other. A gate was made in the middle of the wall held by rusted chains and seemed to hammered together haphazardly. A wall that had Goblins patrolling it's buttress with makeshift quivers full of arrows and bows made from discarded wood or fishing lines.

Seeing planks of plywood crossing the sewage nile, Xander took it and hauled himself up onto some pipes before he crawled along it. He needed to get a birds eye view of this place. Following the pipe, he did a headcount of the goblins as he circled the makeshift building. There must've been an entire warband present in that place. Twenty Goblins, a Captain, and he noted at least two hobgoblins dressed in what looked like leather armor and having pieces of metal bent around their shoulders and legs to make pauldrons and greaves. They seemed to be bossing around the lesser goblins dressed in rags before they disappeared into a tarp tent. He then noted a deep pit and followed the piping and a section of it lead directly over it.

Inside were worgs, no less than half a dozen in all. They seemed to be nibbling on some sewer rats or some other unfortunate creature caught in the sewers.

'_Well, this is going to be one hell of a party,'_ Xander thought to himself, '_Maybe I should kick it off early. Make it easier on the others?' _For even though Janna was a higher level than he was, and the 'adult' in the group, it was Xander they looked to for leadership because out of all of them, he had the most experience killing monsters. So he felt it was his duty to look out for the others. '_I wonder if this is how Buffy feels about me… well, probably not since she we all started killing demons and shit around the same time.'_

For a brief moment Xander considered trying to solo the garbage fort himself, but then he shook his head. "You're _not _Buffy he told himself. You have friends who _want_ to help. Let them."

So thinking, he headed back to the others to report his findings.

**~FotP~**

"A warband of Goblins?" Johanthan said paling at the thought.

Xander nodded. "A small one I counted twenty heads meaning they have at least one captain, and there were also two hobgonbins going into a worn and weathered tent. They might be the ones in charge. They also have worgs."

"Shi~t!" Jonathan swore. "And this is just the first dungeon."

Janna added her two cents to the conversation. "Goblins aren't very difficult if I recall one one-third a challenge rating per. We should be able to go in there guns blazing and take them out."

"NO!" Jonathan and Xander said at the same time. Only for Xander to continue. "Jan, do you know what Goblins do to the women they manage to capture?" When the Romani shook her head he explained, "They rape them repeatedly in order to grow the hoard. You are under no circumstances getting within melee range of any Goblin."

"Ain't no filthy Gob layin' his hands on Mum!" Cavall growled menacingly his hackles rising.

Janna blanched, "Oh dear Lord… so what's the plan then?"

Xander rubbed his chin, "Well, I'm not sure if you're Hide skill is good enough but if it is then this might just work. I managed to survey they camp via walking along some pipe, I figure you could do the same and rain hell from above, or at least take out the archers on the battlements while Johnathan and I knock on the front door."

"You want the two of _us_, to take on a Goblin _encampment_ by _ourselves_?" Jonathan looked at Xander like he was insane."

Xander fixed the greenhorn with a deadpan stare. "They are CR one-third dude, even you should be able to take on at least one of them with little effort. I considered taking on the entire camp by myself but… where would the fun in that be for the rest of you?"

"Too right!" Cavall said with a low growl. It was clear he was itching for a fight.

"So this is how we're gonna do it..." Xander began explaining the plan.

**~FotP~**

"I can't _believe_ we're doing this," Jonathan said as he, Xander and Cavall walked at a leisurely clip towards the junk heap that was the Goblin encampment. "They're liable to kill us on sight you know that right?" Jonathan said, glancing at Xander.

"Dude, relax, we're the bait remember?" Xander said as they started to come within bowshot of the walls.

"I know that's what I'm afraid of."

"Put yer big boy diapers on ya fanny boy! It's time ta' be a man and quit being a lil bitch!" Cavall growled. "You signed up fer this kinda shite when you joined up so quit yer bellyachin'."

An arrow landed near Xander's foot moments before a warhorn sounded alerting the entire place to their presence. "Welp, no going back now Jonny boy."

"Oh joy," Jon drawlled, "If I die, I blame you Xander."

"And if you end up not dying and end up leveling up if this works like I think it will?"

"I'll still blame you, I'll just blame you for something good happening?" Jon retorted with a smirk as the makeshift gate opened up allowing the worg-riders to blitz out of the gate and head straight towards them.

Soon enough the trio were surrounded from all sides, some Worgs had jumped across the sewage river just to double back and surround them from behind. With spears being pointed in his face, one Goblin spoke in a guttural language, "Crewsha, nagra ita gor basha nada!"

"Um no el Espanol?" Xander said in response, earning a head shake from Jonathan.

"He said drop your weapons and surrender humans," His Worg translated for him.

"Oh, _that's _what he said, and here I thought he was giving us directions to the nearest exit. I suppose I should've known better what with the spear being pointed in my face and all," Xander replied while gently moving the rusted spearpoint out of his face. Also to hide his shock that the worg could talk. This added a whole new layer of difficulty to his plans.

The Worg growled in response, "You are oftly calm for being in mortal peril human."

"Grish na ka?" the Goblin asked his mount.

Xander just shrugged out his response, "It's how I deal with stressful situations, believe it or not."

"Gorgra norb barashna," The Worg replied.

The Goblin sneered and tried to poke Xander with his spear, but he deftly dodged it. "What'd you tell him."

"That you think your funny, I'm sure you'll be hilarious when your being turned on the spit while still alive," The Worg said while giving a sinister grin. "Now, _drop _your weapons!"

"Tell your rider that we wish to parlay with the commander of your… fort?" Xander replied looking at the trash heap and trying to find the right name for it.

A look of surprise appeared on the Worg's face for a moment before he spoke to his Rider again. "Gra kor baar, nareash ka ban toor biyet."

The Goblin's cruel smile disappeared for a moment and it became contemplative, his eyes narrowed at Xander suspiciously finally he spoke to his companion, "Grooka, norag borsha nagata."

The Worg nodded, "He says we shall escort you to our leader to parlay, but only after you surrender your weapons."

"Alright," Xander nodded before he unslung his bow from his back and took the quiver off as well before dropping it down on the ground. "That's all I got, and Jonny here is my squire."

The goblin snatched up the bow and arrows. Putting them behind his saddle. "Very well, follow us, and no funny business."

Xander held his hands up, "Wouldn't dream of it, seeing as you have us outnumbered twelve to one."

**~FotP~**

They reached the main gate in no time at all. There was a huge bonfire in the middle of the camp just like he saw from on high earlier. Goblins were standing around it drinking grog and dancing. A lot of them jeered at them as they walked past, hurling stones and… other things that would make monkeys proud were they there to see it. As they neared the tent, the jeering ceased and everything became quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the padding of the worgs, the crackling of the fire, and the footsteps of the two humans as they drew closer.

Stopping five feet away, the goblin in charge called, "Biyet! Grakorg nagra hoomans orgra parlee!"

"Send them in!" A wheezy deep voice spoke in a foreboding tone. Xander and Jonathan were shoved into the tent and came face to face with the warband's leader. The interior of the tarp tent was lit by crude torches which allowed the two humans to see. Sitting on a throne consisting of a broken toilet was a larger than average Goblin.

He was six foot tall, tall for a goblin, of impressive girth, with a pig like snout, his frame rumbled every time he took a breath, his jowls were thick like that of a bloodhound, and he had beady shifty red eyes. He had makeshift metal armor made out of a trash can, with the lid serving as a helmet. A sharp piece of scrap metal that looked like the propeller of an airplane had been sharpened with a handle simply being heavily wrapped cloth.

It was a Bugbear, and standing on either side of him were the two large hobgoblins he'd seen earlier, tall dumb looking brutes that were good at keeping the rabble in line, and taking orders. Both were grey-skinned, a few inches shorter than Xander himself and wearing roughly patched hide armor. The only difference between the two was one had a morningstar, the other an axe.

The Bugbear took a wheezing breath and spoke. "So you wish to parley, yes? What do you have to offer me humans, besides the juicy flesh on your bones?"

In response, Xander reached into his pants pocket and mentally pulled a single gold coin from his inventory before pulling his hand out and flipping the coin towards the Bugbear, who caught it eagerly with dexterity that surprised both party members. He held it up to the firelight admiring how it gleamed. He looked to Xander with greed marking his features. "You! You can get me more shiny metal yes?"

Xander nodded. "I can, but… well, that's all I have on me. In order to get more you'd have to let me leave. Or…"

"Or? Speak human, or what?" The Bugbear asked, while even Jonathan was giving him an odd look. Xander was going off script and by the seat of his pants now.

"Well, I do know where you can get more, a lot more. But it'll require a lot of work to get but you'll have more shiny metal than you'd ever want."

"Where? Where?!" The Bugbear demanded greed had overtaken him completely as he started to get up from his throne showing his true staggering height of seven feet.

"Uh boss, should we's be listening to him?" One Hobgoblin asked distrustfully showing he had the brains to not trust outsiders.

"Quiet you idiots!" The Bugbear raged. "Where's be the shiny metal human?"

Xander pointed up. "Humans keep it all in a building up above called a bank. I bet if you tried hard enough you could rob it."

"Xander?" Jonathan asked perplexed by this sudden turn of events.

"Take humans shiny metal? Me like this idea… what in it for _you_ human?" The Bugbear asked suspiciously.

"A cut of the profits," Xander replied easily thinking fellow greed is something the Bugbear would understand.

"How much?" The Bugbear asked.

"Three shiny metal bricks… and whatever is in that chest over there," Xander pointed at said chest half covered in filth and looking like it needed a key. Xander new that was the boss chest and inside it would treasures that would only help his party in the long run.

"Deal Human!" The Bugbear tore an old key off from around his neck and tossed it to Xander who caught it.

"I'll need to head back above to find the proper plans so you'll know where to dig."

The Bugbear nodded eagerly. "Yes yes _you_ go…" He pointed at Jonathan, "_He_ stay here, make sure _you_ come back."

"Might I suggest my dog instead?" Xander motioned to Cavall who had stayed silent while Xander had lied his way through this situation. Only now did he look at Xander and cock his eyebrow to the side. But a minute shake of his head made him stay silent. "I'm a ranger you see so I value my animal companion quite highly, and if a human goes missing well… the others would get suspicious you understand."

"Hmm," The Bugbear stroked its chin in thought. "Okay, dog stay, humans go, come back with plans soon yes?"

"We'll be back within a day," Xander promised. "First we'd like to take whatever is in the trunk, consider it an act of good faith or prepayment for the plans."

"Take trunk, take trunk and go. Go!" The Bugbear ushered him on his gaze constantly flickering towards the coin in his hand as his eyes almost shined with greed.

Xander took one of the handles on the side of the trunk and motioned for Jonathan to take the other before the Bugbear ordered the humans to be escorted from the encampment.

"I really hope you know what you're doing man," Jonathan whispered under his breath as they were surrounded by Goblins.

"I do, don't worry," Xander replied as one of his theories was confirmed as they were escorted out.

**~FotP~**

Janna met them once they were further away. "What happened why didn't you give the signal? How'd you get that chest… and where's Cavall?"

"Don't worry Janna this is all part of the plan I counted all the goblins as we were walking through the place and I was wrong… there weren't twenty… there were fifty at least."

"Fifty?" Janna paled.

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "No way we could take on that many plus the Worgs, two Hobgoblins, and the Bugbear leading them. So I devised an alternate strategy on the spot. One which involved leaving Cavall behind for a bit I'm sorry to say."

"Xander," Janna said getting his attention just as his self-depreciation kicked in. "I trust you. If you did what you thought was best then that's all there is to it. I understand, as I'm sure Cavall does. Now what's plan B?"

"How quickly can you find me plans on the infracture of Sunnydale? Xander asked.

Janna cocked her head to the side. "Shouldn't take me more than a couple of hours once I get access to my computer, why?"

The teen smiled, "Well because my dear Janna, I'm leading these goblins on a hunt for the ever elusive snipe."

Janna smiled knowingly. "Ah, I see. I'll get to looking as soon as we get home. The sooner we get Cavall back the better."

Xander nodded. "Agreed, he doesn't need to be treated to the Goblin's hospitality any longer than necessary."

The trio trudged off, determined now more than ever to end the Goblin scourge.

**~FotP~**

Once back at Janna's Xander opened the end of Dungeon chest and found within fifteen hundred gold which was split three ways between the three of them, a steel morningstar which was immediately given to Jonathan, and a small bag of precious gems which was tossed to Janna, "For all the trouble," Xander said.

The witch huffed. This must've been the third time he apologized for leaving Cavall behind. "I keep telling you it's no trouble Alex. If you're giving me the gems then I want you and Jonathan to split my share of the gold there's enough here to make up my share and then some."

"Yeah but…" Xander began. Only for Janna to silence him with a look.

"But nothing," she dropped two bags, each containing two-hundred fifty gold each on the counter as she booted up her laptop. "Now take it!"

"Yes ma'am!" Jonathan wasn't stupid enough to turn down gold and quickly plopped it into his inventory.

"Fine," Xander said, doing the same with more reluctance. He continued searching the chest, and found another key. This one looked to be hewn from stone and beset with semi precious stones like jade and amber. "A stone key? What could this go to?"

"**This key unlocks the next dungeon! However, it will only become available once the current dungeon is defeated and your parties total CR is equal to 8."**

"Oh, okay," Xander said as he read the popup.

"I've found the blueprints on the town Xander, but it would help if I knew _exactly_ what I was looking for." Janna said.

"The location of Sunnydale's main gas lines," Xander was quick to reply.

That got both Janna's and Jonathan's attention. The other teenager was the first to comment. "You… you're a devious son of a bitch you know that?"

Xander for his part, just grinned. "Why thanks Jon, I'll take that as a compliment."

"That is rather cunning of you Alex," Janna hesitantly praised as she wasn't sure if she should positively reinforce such behavior or not.

"Thanks, I knew I needed to improvise and quickly if we were going to pull out a win," He paused a moment before asking, "How soon can you have the plans printed out?"

"Give me ten minutes," Janna said.

"Cool I'm gonna finish off my daily workout while you do that. I really don't need to know what a penalty quest entails," Xander said before he dropped to the floor and started doing push ups.

The only one who seemed to have a problem with this plan was Jonathan. "And then what, we just… wait?"

"Yep, I'll take the blueprints back to the Goblins once their ready then we wait," Xander replied as he completed his fifth pushup.

"But aren't you leaving a lot up to chance? Like what if the Goblin's read the directions wrong? What if while we were gone one of his bodyguards got through to him, what if it just plain doesn't work like you think it will?"

"Then we go with Plan C which was originally Plan A, and that is, kill em all by surprise," Xander replied completing his push ups and moving to do squats. "Jonny seriously relax even my spur of the moment plans have back up plans."

"Okay, I just kinda thought that…"

"That what? We were gonna be super badass murder hobos who were going to rush in, murder everything and take all the loots?" Xander replied dryly. "Well I hate to break it to you, dude, but this is _still _real life. If you die here, you're not tearing up a character sheet and starting over, your _dead_. Those goblins while evil and stupid, are still living beings, which is why I'm a little hesitant to kill them. You want me to kill undead and demons? I'll do that all damn day! I've _seen _what they are capable of. Goblins though, can be tricked into wiping themselves out, which saves us from having to get our hands dirty. Plus, we have no idea how many Goblins are there of their own free will either. Since most are forced to do what the strong want."

"But your still planning to kill them all in a mass explosion!" Jonathan pointed out.

"One of their own making," Xander pointed out as he moved on to the crunches. "Since their leader is a greedy selfish bastard and the rest of them aren't going to overthrow him anytime soon, well… I'm just helping nature take its course. Hell if any of them survive and want a change of job I will happily help."

"Really?"

"Sure, but they try and stab us in the back and well… we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"But your backstabbing them all first," Jonathan pointed out, this idea clearly didn't sit well with him.

"Hey man, if I thought I could get away with just killing the leader and his goons, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But I'm no Assassin. So I'm doing the best I can, I'm no super powered Slayer or anything like that, I'm just a normal dude," He said as he completed his daily quest.

"**+4 EXP."**

Johnathan had no idea where this thought came from but he thought that if d&d gods were real maybe it was a divine message, " I want to return with you when we get back and talk to some of them. If I find any who are forced against their will to stay there let me bargain for their freedom. I just can't sit by and let innocent life be lost even from stupidity."

"Fine, but your spending your own gold," Xander replied.

"Fair enough," Jonathan agreed.

Xander nodded, he hadn't intended to bring Jonathan with him when he went back down into the sewers, now that was another variable he'd have to account for. '_Still shouldn't be too difficult. I've got the plans. Give plans, get dog, get slave goblins, get out. Simple four step process. Of course, knowing 'my' luck, something somehow is going to get fucked up along the way.'_

"Alex, the plans are done," Janna said having taken the plans out of her printer.

The teen took them, rolled them up and put them in a cardboard tube for safe keeping. "You ready for round two?"

Jonathan nodded. "Yep."

Xander sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Then let's get this over with, I really need a shower."

**~FotP~**

For the second time that night Xander found himself walking through the rank sewers, with Jonathan at his side. Xander looked to Jonathan as they made their way back to the Goblin's floating trash fortress. "Are you _sure _you wanna try saving some of these goblins? They could turn on us you know?"

Jonathan nodded. "I'm sure. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if I didn't at least try Xander."

"Fair enough. If they do happen to turn on us you _know_ what's gonna happen _right_?"

The other teen grimaced but nodded and answered, "Yeah I know."

"Kay as long as you know." Xander fell silent after that. Once they came within bowshot of the fortress the Worgs were released once again and the two teens found themselves surrounded. Xander smiled as he met with the same Goblin and Worg duo from before saying, "We _really _gotta stop meeting like this fellas people are gonna start talking."

"You're back sooner than expected little morsel," The Worg growled.

"Yeah well, it didn't take long to get the info your chief needed. So, same deal as last time I'm assuming?" Xander asked sliding his bow off his shoulder once again. The Goblin grinned nastily as he took his bow before a spear poked him in the back urging him forwards. "Okay, okay, no need to get handsy fellas, we're movin'."

**~FtoP~**

Xander and Jonathan were pushed into the tent where the Bugbear was leaning forward eagerly, rubbing his hands together greedily. "You back, you have plans yes?"

Xander nodded. "We do, however my companion would like to discuss something with you before I hand the plans over, and I'd like to see my hound please."

The Bugbear looked to one of his Hobgoblin cohorts. "Go get doggie! Now!"

"But boss how can we trust Hoomans?" The grey-skinned Hobgoblin complained.

"Go. Get. Doggie! The Bugbear wheezed angrily, throwing a rusted tin can full of grog at the Hobgoblin when he didn't comply immediately.

"I a'goin' I a'goin' but I don' trust da Hoomans," the Hobgoblin said under his breath loud enough for Xander and Jonathan to hear.

"Now, other Hooman have something to say yes?" The Bugbear asked fixing his beady eyes on Jonathan.

"I um yes, well, you see I…" Put on the spot as he was, the priest couldn't get up the gumption to talk.

So Xander did it for him. "My companion and I would like to buy slaves from you your lordship. We're willing to pay handsomely for any… unruly goblins you may want to get rid of if you take my meaning?"

The Bugbear stroked his many chins as he grinned maliciously and gave his answer, "More shiny metal for Goblins I no want?"

Xander gave the gelatinous Bugbear a sauve grin as he further described what he was looking for, "Don't want, don't like, can't bother to kill, it doesn't bother to us. We'll buy em at ten shiny metal a piece."

"Gahahaha!" The Bugbear laughed evilly. "Yes, yes, yes! Me got some like that round here!" The Bugbear turned to his remaining Hobgoblin and said "Go round up the hooligans. We gettin' rid of them today!"

The other Hobgoblin nodded eagerly and toddled off.

Xander then brought the cardboard tube out from behind his back and took the blueprints out. "These here are what you need."

"Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!" The Bugbear demanded. Xander handed them over to the fool of a leader who looked them over with confusion rapidly knitting his brow. "Where X on map? Where we s'posed to dig?"

"Ah my mistake may I?" Xander took the map back for a moment and taking a bit of charcoal he marked a big X where the closest gas line would be relative to the floating fortresses' position. He then handed it back with a smile. "There you are."

"It close," The Bugbear said wide eyed looking at the map.

"Yes it is," Xander agreed squinting his eyes a little and causing the Bugbears level to appear above its head

"**Level 8."**

'_Damn,' It's a really good thing I did this,'_ Xander thought to himself.

Just then both Hobgoblins reappeared. One was dragging Cavall in by a leash made of cobbled together belts and the other was leading a line of five goblins were were bound in makeshift chains.

Each Goblin looked a little different and distinct. The first looked almost like a dwarf and if it wasn't for the lack of beard, and bony protrusions on its face, Xander might've mistaken it for one. The second in the line was swabbed almost completely in cloth, the only thing poking out was its face ever so slightly, showing this goblin had tan brown skin. The third was tall, taller than xander himself by a couple of inches and lanky and had tribal tattoos adorning its body, and it walked with the aid of an obsidian club. The fourth was the only woman in the group was just as tall and she had a veil over her face as she fingered a sling at her side even though she was bound in chains. The last looked like a Goblin had been crossbred with a bat. It had leathered wings of a fiend on its back along with its two fingered hands on its arms and two long whiplike tails swished around behind it as it grinned at all present menacingly.

"All of you listen up!" The Bugbear roared snot flying from its nose as it tried to look menacing but only came off as pitiful to Xander. "As of today you's be owned by the Hooman here." He pointed at Xander. "He be's payin' fer your lives so you's be good or he kill ya."

The mishmash of Goblinoids all looked at Xander who gave an odd wave. "Hiya folks," Reaching into his pocket, Xander pulled a small coin pouch of fifty gold out and tossed it to the Bugbear. "Fifty gold for five slaves, I got my dog and you got you're plans. I do believe our business is concluded now, yes?"

"Yes, yes, shoo shoo," The Bugbear said, staring at the gold in the pouch.

Xander pulled on the chain that connected the Goblins leading the way out of the encampment, collecting his bow on the way out.

**~FotP~**

Once they'd rounded the corner Xander sighed in relief. "Fuck all that was more stressful than the first time," Xander wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Jonathan saying, "You owe me fifty gold by the way."

Jonathan nodded. "Right sorry for flubbing the pitch."

"Don't worry about it, the point is, we got the decent ones outta there," Xander turned to the waiting goblins. "Um if we take these shackles off are you gonna try and kill us?"

The Goblins looked at each other and most of them shook their heads proving they could at least understand english.

The winged one spoke up, in a devious weedly voice. "I might. Eeheheh!"

"Then you get to stay chained up asshole, how's that sound?" Xander retorted.

"Ah c'mon! I was only joking… _mostly_," The Goblin said the last bit below his breath.

Cavall growled, "I say we toss that one in the drink Alpha."

Xander eyed the Caypup. "Did they treat you ok while you were with them?"

Cavall snorted, "Aye, I'm fine, I'm fine. Kin I turn the Fiend blooded one into a chew toy _please_?" The celestial hound begged wagging his tail at the thought.

The winged goblin hid behind the taller goblins in fright, peeking behind their legs fearfully.

"Enough!" Xander raised his voice just a little but it was enough. If Cavall was going to call him Alpha he was going to act like it damn it. Xander looked over the Goblins as he asked, "Do you have names?"

The tiny dwarf-like one spoke first. "Doug

"G'narl." The tall spear wielder said, his voice deep despite his slender frame.

"Sylva," The woman said her voice had a mysterious quality to it.

"Scotiesovonovitch." The robed one said.

Xander blinked. "Wow that's a mouthful… I'm just gonna call you Scottie okay?"

"Fair enough,"

Xander looked to the winged one, "And you?"

"We all call him pissant but his name is Ziz," Sylva said derisively.

Xander blinked, "_Why_ do you call him pissant?"

"Cause he thinks its funny to piss other people off with lethal pranks, despite the fact the only thing big of his is his wingspan," Sylva replied.

"Ziz like to burn things," Ziz retorted. "It funny watching others running around screaming."

Xander bent down till he was eye level with Ziz and said, "I've got a deal to make with you Ziz, this town is infested with… demonically possessed corpses you can pull as many nasty pranks on them as you'd like. I don't care. Pull one on a human though without my permission, and it's your head… get me?"

Ziz came out from behind Gnarl and Sylva and nodded eagerly. "Fine. At least I get to prank people still. Better demons than anything else I suppose."

Xander nodded and stood. "Indeed, we're gonna get along just fine as long as you follow this one rule Ziz."

"Um, sir?" Doug said, "I've a question?"

Xander did his best to suppress a yawn. "Yeah?"

"Why'd you bother going so far for us?" Doug asked.

Jonathan cleared his throat. "That was my idea actually. I figured at least a couple of innocent people were here against their will and I didn't want them to get killed."

"Get killed? You may be skilled but you are just two men. You can't possibly take an entire encampment," Gnarl said his deep timber assessing them both, sizing Xander and Jonathan up with his keen gaze.

"That's where I come back in," Xander replied leading the way out of the sewer. "You see that map I gave your moron of a leader is to an area of explosive gas. He has the rest dig… and it'll lead to a huge explosion which will take out the entire camp."

The goblins just stared dumbly after Xanders retreating back for a moment. "That's brilliant. Cruel and manipulative, but brilliant," Gnarl complimented as he moved to keep up with Xander.

"Thanks. I knew we weren't tough enough to take them on so I improvised. You don't seem particularly sad they're all going to die."

"We were k-kidnapped from our clans," Doug chimed up. "I'm a Puck from Icewind Dale. Gnarl is a Ponaturi from the islands off of the Sword Coast, and Sylva is a Tree Grim from the jungles around the desert of Netheril… and Ziz is a Vinayanka, an offspring of a goblin with a fiend. We don't know where he comes from."

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Alexander, but my friends just call me Xander," Xander said with a nod, as he undid their shackles. He then nodded to Jonathan, "That's Jonathan, or Johnny. He's a priest of Ilmater."

"Ah, now everything makes sense," Gnarl noted.

"Ilmater the Merciful," Sylva noted nodding her head in respect.

"The Bloodied Forgiver," Scottie added.

"Fool forgives everyone, even his enemies. Oh but i have heard of his anger. Oh how cruel he is pushed when children die," Ziz cackled in glee but oddly not out of disrespect.

Xander shook his head as Jonathan rubbed his, embarrassed at all the attention he was getting. Sighing Xander said, "Let's get the fuck outta this sewer and get a bite to eat okay?"

He had everyone's attention at food.

**~FotP~**

"Explain this to me again?" Janna said as she watched the quintet of goblins devour her leftovers. Most of them had the decorum to use the provided tableware except the winged one he ate everything on the plate with his bare hands… and then he ate the plate.

Xander cleared his throat. "Well the plan went off without a hitch. That dumbass Bugbear should be blowing himself to kingdom come sometime tomorrow. He was level _eight _by the way."

"Oh wow," Janna said, "Yes that would've ended badly for us even if all the other Goblins were only level one by contrast…"

"Fifty level ones are still a shit ton of cannon fodder," Xander agreed with a solemn nod.

"**Quest Complete Dungeon (Survival)**

**+400EXP +150g**

**Hidden objective complete: Save the survivors of the Goblin Horde Raids. +250EXP."**

"Huh, well that was a thing," Xander said at last. "Nice going Jonathan."

The other teen smiled. "Thanks and here's the gold I owe you," He tossed Xander a pouch containing fifty gold.

Xander slipped it into his pocket and then his inventory. Before clapping his hands and getting everyone's attention. "Okay, I am tired as hell and smell like ass. So I'm taking a shower and then going to bed. You all," He pointed at the Goblins, "Need to find somewhere to stay. To hide out. Someplace out of the way where people won't go… I got it!" The teen recalled fighting the cyber demon Moloch which is when they first learned Janna was a witch. "The Calax factory out on the edge of town!"

"Where that cyberdemon popped up?" Janna inquired.

"Yeah that place," Xander replied, "It's remote, out of the way, and no one wants to go in that place."

Janna nodded in agreement, "That sounds like a good place for a bunch of goblins to stay, for now anyway."

"Okay, first things first, I'm taking a damn shower because I smell like ass. Then all of _you_ need to take showers because you all smell like ass," Xander added pointing at the goblin crew.

Ziz sniffed himself. "Ziz don't smell anything."

Sylva shook her head, "A bath sounds… grand thank you."

"No problem, after that I'll take you to the old Calax place and then I'm getting some damn sleep," Xander then thought, '_On that note, Time.'_ Xander thought.

"**1:35am" **

"Fuck better make this quick then," The teen sighed to himself. He bumped fists with Jonathan. "Seeya tomorrow buddy?"

"Yeah man… um one thing though… how the hell am I gonna get this smell outta my clothes or explain the stench to my folks?"

Xander sighed tiredly. He really just wanted to go to bed, but he couldn't yet. "Oh right, your parents actually care about you… um, I'd just burn most of what your wearing right now if I were you… unless… do you have a clothes cleaning cantrip?"

"I might?" Jonathan replied.

"Then use it and do what a Cleric does best and pray buddy," Xander said clapping him on the shoulder before he trudged upstairs.

**~FotP~**

It took Xander a bit to get the Goblins settled in at the Calax building. He had run out of what little steam his late night shower had given him and was slowly making his way home. He kept his ears perked up for sounds of movement around him. He was well aware that he looked like an easy target for any vamps stalking the streets right now. Xander heard the sound of a trash can being knocked over on his right. Most people would've considered that it might've been a cat, scrounging for scraps…

Xander wasn't most people.

With but a thought he equipped his hunting knives on his person and kept on walking. '_C'mon, come and get me you stupid bloodsuckers.'_

He didn't have to wait long. No less than four vampires all of them game-faced fledglings bum rushed him from the alleyway where he heard the commotion just moments before. The highest leveled one was only level four while the other three were only level two. Xander took out his knives and threw the knife in his offhand at the closest incoming vamp. It dusted in a matter of seconds.

"**+25EXP."**

Xander ignored the update. He was still fighting for his life and now he was down a weapon. The remaining three ran towards him like a pack of incised hounds. Instead of running away, something he knew was an exercise in futility, Xander instead ran towards the vampires. Something that threw them off for just a second, just long enough for him to slide tackle into one of them and grab his tossed knife in the process, then stab both blades into either leg of the still standing vampires, who howled in pain as their flesh burned from the holy blessed silver.

"You sonova bitch!" One of the vamps who had a lime green mohawk of all things growled at him.

"The seventies ended a long time ago asshole," Xander replied before he stabbed the undead abomination multiple times in his junk.

"Gah fuck, why?!" The demonically possessed corpse screamed as he held his mutilated bleeding and burning groin.

"So I could do this!" Xander stabbed his knife up through the vampire's throat, dusting it as he severed its spinal cord.

"**+25EXP"**

Xander's victory was short lived however, as he found himself being picked up from behind by the vampire he'd tripped up moments ago. It had him in a bearhug and was starting to squeeze him, Xander felt a couple of his ribs crack in his chest.

'Fuck!' The teen thought to himself. 'I am not dying like this!'

Xander prepared to stab the vamp in order to make it let him go, only for it to suddenly do so of its own volition screaming as it did so.

"Fucking hell, what is this thing, get it off get it off get it…"

_Crack._

The sound of a neck breaking was unmistakable.

Xander coughed a couple of times and looked back to see Ziz, his tails wrapped around the vampires neck and his hands twisting the head to an unnatural angle, his claws digging into the undead flesh, a sadistic grin of absolute glee on his face as his eyes turned to the remaining vampire who just looked back at Ziz in awestruck horror… That is until Xander viciously and mercilessly shanked him in the chest with his hunting knife.

"**+25EXP"**

"What… are you doing… here Ziz?" Xander asked a little breathlessly. It hurt to breathe at the moment, probably due to the fact that several of his ribs were cracked.

"Making sure you got home safe boss," The fiendish goblin replied. "Good thing I did too, or you'd be dead by now I es'pect."

Xander nodded. "Yeah thanks Ziz. So, how'd you enjoy your first vamp fight?"

"Kahaha! You said they's was possessed corpses boss, you never said anything bout em bein' vamps… this is gonna be so much more fun now! I can plan all kinds'a pranks! Slip holy water in their beer, rip the covers off their windows during the day, set buildings _on fire_!"

"Maybe not that last one Ziz."

"Throw holy incense into the ventilation system!" Ziz amended.

"Much better," Xander agreed. "Thanks again for the save."

The winged goblin nodded rapidly. "Yep, yep! No problem boss! I'm gonna go prank some more vampires now, kay? You gonna be able to make it home by yourself?"

"I should be but before you go… Send party invite," Xander said.

"What in the name of Malbolge is this?!" the Goblin fiend asked.

Xander rubbed his eyes. He was getting too tired for this shit. "Just hit the button that says yes okay?"

Hesitantly, Ziz reached out and tapped the screen in front of him. "Now what?"

"Now, you go out and prank the vamps like you were intending to, but we all benefit from it. Make sure to pick up anything they drop okay? All I ask is that you bring me any gold or gems." Xander told the winged menace as his evil grin got even wider.

"Can do boss. Seeya," Ziz took flight cackling into the night.

Xander shook his head. "What kind of hell have I just unleashed?" He then shrugged, "Ah well, not my problem."

The only thing Xander wanted right now was his bed. It called to him like a siren's song, and he couldn't resist any longer.

**~FotP~**

Xander woke up to the sound of his video game induced alarm. Groaning, Xander rolled onto his back and said, "Time."

"**5am**"

"Fuck you game!" Xander groaned as he sat up in bed. Then he noticed out of the corner of his eye, a message.

"**One of your party members has earned the party 750EXP, given you 3000 gold, and five diamonds worth 15000 gold."**

"Holy shit Ziz must've been busy last night," Xander said to himself. "He offed… thirty vamps in the time I've been asleep. He works fast, I'll give him that."

"Xander," Janna called up the stairs, "Could you please explain this message I just recieved about a party member granting me seven hundred fifty bonus EXP?"

"Uhh, yeah just a second!" Xander called down.

The boy hurriedly got dressed and headed downstairs. He greeted Janna with a wave and a smile but she was having none of that this morning. "Explain young man."

"Okay so I might've added one of the goblins from last night to the party when he said he was gonna go vamp hunting. Since anyone who does any killing get experience for the whole party I figured why not right?"

Janna ran a hand down her face. "While I see your reasoning, I wish you'd asked me before you added any of them to the group. We don't really know anything about any of them… it wasn't the winged one was it?"

"Well, in his defense he did save my life last night," Xander clarified.

"Oh Xander," Janna sighed, "What happened?"

Quickly explaining how he got jumped by a small pack of vampires last night and how his ribs were still sore from getting bear hugged Janna had him sit down while she fussed over him. "You should've _woken me up_ last night if you had broken ribs! _Especially_ if you had broken ribs!"

Xander shook his head. "They aren't broken just cracked. Trust me, I _know_ what a broken rib feels like, and they aren't broken."

"From Tony?" Janna guessed acid dripping into her tone as she cast cure light wounds on her ward.

Xander gave a hollow laugh. "No, vampire. I've been smacked around plenty by them in the past year. Had my ribs broke a couple of times."

"Did you ever go to the doctor?" Janna asked.

In response Xander raised an eyebrow and replied. "And tell them what? That a vamp bitch slapped me into a wall or a dumpster? No, I just wrapped myself in gauze as tightly as I could and kept going."

"Plus, if you had gone to a doctor they likely would've called Child Protective Services right?" Janna said in a sad, knowing tone.

Xander grimaced. "That too I suppose. I'm gonna head out on my run, be back in time for breakfast mum."

Xander was out the door in a flash, Cavall hot on his heels. So he never saw the beaming smile Janna had on her face when he called her mom. "One of these days I'm going to call him son just so I get to see the look on his face." Wiping away the happy tears in her eyes, Janna got to work making breakfast. She'd learned well enough by now that her boy would be ravenous by the time he got back. "I just hope those goblins didn't eat us out of house and home last night."

"I do apologize if that was the case ma'am," Janna turned around sharply to see the lone female goblin sitting on her counter. "The food was delicious though."

"Thank… thank you. Sylva was it? Um don't take this the wrong way but… how'd you get in here?" Janna inquired.

"Through the hole in the back door," Sylva replied pointing at the doggie door she'd installed for Cavall.

"Oh… I see. Can I help you with something?" Janna asked politely.

Sylva nodded. "I wish to speak with Alexander. Is he about?"

"You just missed him, he went out on his morning run," Janna replied turning her back to the gobliness, and looking through her fridge for breakfast foods, spell at the ready, just in case.

"Then I shall wait here for his return if it is all the same to you?" Slyva replied from behind her.

Janna came back out holding a carton of eggs some bacon and some leftover peppers. "That's fine… would you like to stay for breakfast?"

"Yes please," Sylva said eagerly. "Do you require assistance?" she asked, slightly amazed when the flames lit on the stove. It was magic in her eyes.

"If you don't mind could you brown the sausage for me while I work on the eggs and tea?" Janna requested.

The gobliness nodded. "Yes. This, I can do."

The two women worked quietly in the kitchen for a time, and once the smell of food filled the air, did the Romani woman asked her question, "So what was it you wanted to ask Alex?"

"He has granted Ziz an… unusual power. I would like to know if he'd be willing to share it with the rest of us as well," Sylva replied.

Janna nodded. "I'm sure he'd be willing. He shared it with myself and Jonathan already."

"Yes, the priest of Ilmater, an odd one for sure he is." Sylva said.

Janna cocked her head to the side in confusion, "How so?"

"Tried to stick his neck out for goblins. Not many would do that. Priest of Ilmater or no," Sylva said by way of explanation. "Most see us as pests, no better than vermin. Something to be exterminated, or in the case of Orcs, eaten. But they… didn't. That makes them… strange. In a pleasant way, though."

Janna smiled warmly at Slyva, "I think you'll find if you put your faith in humans, sooner or later, we'll surprise you."

"I think… you may be right," The Gobliness replied after a moment's pause.

At that moment, the back door opened and Xander came in, with Cavall dragging his heels behind him. "I told you you didn't have to come with me buddy."

"Shut yer… shut yer gob!" Cavall panted as he made his way to his water bowl. "I'll keep up with yer scrawny arse even if it… even if it kills me I will!" Cavall then took a long draught from his bowl. When he looked up and noticed the goblin present he asked, "The fucks the goober doin' here mum? Didn't we do bloody enough fer them yesterday?"

"Cavall be nice," Janna chastised before turning to Sylva. "Sorry about him he didn't take to kindly to the Bugbears hospitality the other day."

"Tried to feed me to the Worgs they did, the feckers," Cavall spat. "So you'll have to _excuse me_ all to _hell_ if I'm not _happy _to see _another one of em_ Mum."

"Sorry boy," Xander said scratching Cavalls back. "I should've stuck to the first cardinal rule of Dungeons and Dragons. You _never_ split the party."

Cavall shook his head. "It's _fine_ Alpha, those stoopid feckers'll get what's comin' to em soon enough."

"Yeah…" Xander clapped his hands, "Well, let's eat!"

After a breakfast of cheesy scrambled eggs with peppers and onions with sausage on the side, Xander folded his hands and focused his attention on Slyva. "So, what can I do for you this morning Sylva?"

"I would like for you to share whatever power you gave to Ziz last night… if you are willing." Sylva requested politely showing her respect to her chieftain.

Xander looked to Janna who nodded. "Okay. What? Did you think I was going to say no or something?" He said with a little laugh when he saw the look of surprise in the gobliness' eyes.

"No, its just I thought it would take more… convincing." Sylva admitted.

Xander shook his head. "Nope, I'll make you the same… well _almost_ the same deal I made with Ziz. I want half of all the gold and all the gems you pick up from defeated foes. You can keep anything else you find."

"Xander, you want _half _of their gold."

"Hey, I'm taking _all _of Ziz's." Xander admitted. "He didn't seem to care one bit. But I'm assuming these guys might like to go out drinking every once in awhile."

"Yes… how much is gold worth in this world?"

"Two hundred eighty-eight dollars an ounce. Not per piece, per ounce."

He couldn't tell because her veil was in the way, but he was pretty sure Sylva's mouth just dropped.

Once she finally collected herself she asked, "So if you wanted to, you could ask for three-fourths of our gold and we could still be quite well off in this world."

"I could, but I'm not that much of an asshat," Xander replied. "Besides that would go against the pirate code."

"Pirate code Alex?" Janna questioned.

"Yep, whenever Jessie and I played DnD we always divided the loot by shares the Captain that's me got one and a half shares of all the loot, the lieutenant that's you Janna, also got one and a half shares which is why I've been hoarding gems like a damn raven."

"And Jonathan?" Janna asked.

Xander winced and waved his hand from side to side. "Eh, moral grey area with him. He could either be counted as a second lieutenant, or a regular crew member meaning he gets a share and a half or a normal share of all the loot. But since he's a cleric shouldn't he abstain from wealth anyway?"

"Xander! Stop trying to cheat your friends out of money on religious moral grounds!" Janna chastised even though she had a grin on her face, showing she was doing her best not to laugh.

"Yes ma'am," Xander faux-sulked, "I'll offer it to him at least, but if he says no, I'm keeping it."

"That's… that's fine Xander," Janna said with a little chuckle.

"Send invite," Xander said.

The screen popped up in front of Sylva causing her to jump a bit. She read what it said for a moment before reaching out and hitting yes.

"There you go your all set, now get out there and kill some undead. For the Horde! Xander joked.

"What Horde Alexander?" Sylva asked confused.

Xander shook his head while Janna chuckled at his joke."Nevermind."

**~FotP~**

"Hey Xander!" Xander turned seeing Buffy and Willow calling him over.

"Hey ladies," Xander said with a smile on his face. "How goes the slayage?"

"It goes well. I took out four vamps last night," Buffy said with a bit of pride in her tone.

Xander prevented himself from snorting derisively as he'd taken out six by himself just two days ago. "Oh yeah, isn't that a new record?"

"I think so, how's the studying going Xan?" The slayer asked.

"Going good, can't complain," Xander replied. He waved upon seeing Jonathan waving at him.

Willow sent Xander a curious look, "Are you friends with Jonathan?"

Xander nodded hesitantly. "Yeah he and I kinda formed a study group since he's having some trouble himself. So Miss Calendar is helping both of us out."

"Oh… well that makes sense," Willow said after a moment's thought.

Xander was glad his Charisma stat was so high because he was lying his ass off more oft than not these days. '_Thank god for Bluff checks.'_ he thought before he said, "I'd better go see what he wants. Excuse me ladies."

Willow opened her mouth to object only for Buffy to stop her. A bit sadly she said. "This is what we wanted isn't it? Xander out of danger, leading a normal life?"

Willow pouted and nodded. "But why does it hurt so much, not having him around Buffy?"

"I… I don't know Willow, I really don't," The Slayer denied.

"Sup man?" Xander greeted.

Jonathan sighed tiredly. "Well, I managed to get the stink out of my clothes, used Purify Food and Drink after soaking them in water."

"Nice use of a level zero spell," Xander complimented, "But that's not why you called me over here is it?" Xander asked already guessing the answer.

Jonathan got to the point. "No what's with the random seven-fifty EXP this morning man?"

"I added one of the Goblins to the group last night after he saved me from getting jumped by some vamps… since then, he's been busy."

Jonathan whistled, "Damn I guess so."

"I got some gold if you want some." Xander offered.

Jonathan shook his head. "Nah I'm good man, just put a little more in the collection plate next time you go to church or something. Plus it would be kinda weird if I were a rich Cleric right?"

Xander chuckled. "Yeah, I get it, totally."

"So uh, when do you think… you know? Boom!" Jonathan made an exploding motion with his hands.

Xander took a shot in the dark. "I'd have to say during or slightly after lunch I mean he's probably got all of them digging by now and they've more than likely been at it ever since we handed over the plans."

"Yeah probably… I did the math and if this works out like I think it will, I might level jump to level three maybe four when the boom hits."

Xander clapped Jonathan on the shoulder and smiled. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see man."

Xander looked around the milling students but couldn't see hide nor hair of Buffy's friend Ford. Someone who should still be the talk of the school. '_Okay once is coincidence, twice is happenstance, and three times…'_

"**Quest: Lying in Wait.**

**Objective: Find out what Billy Fordham is really doing in Sunnydale."**

**Reward: 2,300 EXP, +10 Buffy Affection, +5 fear with Vampire Faction, +200g**

**Failure: Buffy Dies.**

'_Three times is enemy action,' _Xander thought to himself. His face set into grim determination.

**~FotP~**

Xander turned right around and headed out the front doors equipping his gear as he went. Janna was gonna probably be pissed at him but right now, he could care less. The lives of one of his friends was in danger and that's all that mattered. He wished he had a level or three in Ranger so he could try tracking Ford down. Xander stopped and shook his head. '_I' don't need to track him, I've got friends who can do it for me.'_

With that thought in mind, Xander sprinted off across town, towards the Calax building. By the time he arrived he was sweaty and a bit out of breath but no worse for the wear, showing his morning workout was having an effect on him. He pushed the door open and released a shrill whistle getting everyone's attention. "Fall in everyone, I've got a job for you!"

G'narl ambled up to Xander his long wild hair now tied into numerous dreadlocks using scrounged copper wire and lugnuts. He was wearing a chainmail shirt and had a meat hook on the opposite end of his club shaft.

Sylva slid down a chain was now clad in tight leather that clung to her like a second skin, two wickedly curved daggers looped around her waist and doe-skin boots on her feet.

Doug came around the bend wearing a pair of child-sized overalls and a miner's hat, a man sized pickaxe over his shoulder and dirt covering his face.

Ziz flew down from the second story, wearing a grey padded jerkin, with a scarf that had fucking razor blades tied throughout its length wrapped around his neck trailing behind him.

Yet out of them all, the one that made him do a doubletake was Scottie. He was wearing a child sized black pinstripe three piece suit complete with a blue tie, and a fedora on his head with holes cut in it for his ears.

"You all clean up rather nicely, especially you Scottie," Xander complimented.

"Thank you sir," Scottie replied, "I excel at information gathering and to do that to the best of my ability, I thought it would be best if I blended in."

Xander walked down the line of goblins. "As it just so happens, I need some information. I need someone found. Names Billy Fordham. A bit shorter than me with the same colored hair and dark green eyes. I want him found, and I want him tailed. I want to know where he goes and I want to know what he's up to in this town. He's supposedly the friend of a friend of mine called Buffy, she's the Vampire Slayer."

"Is she some kind of Cleric or Paladin?" Gnarl asked.

Xander blinked he'd never really thought about where Buffy's powers came from before just that she was lucky enough to have them. "Good question but no as far as I'm aware she's not either of those… as far as I know."

"**Side Quest: Origin's of a Slayer.**

**Objective: Find out the Origins of the Slayers source of power.**

**Reward: 10,000EXP M? And E? +10 Affection with Buffy +10 Affection with Giles. +15 Fear with Watchers Council. 5000g.**

**Failure: No affection increase with Buffy or Giles, the Slayer's origins remain a mystery E? remains lost, and M? Remains story locked."**

"Okay we can break the storyline… whatever the hell the storyline is," Xander muttered to himself. He turned to the waiting Goblins. "Okay guys something just came up. I need you to find Ford while I deal with it as best I can. Can you handle this for me?"

"We's on it boss!" Ziz nodded. "I'll take to the air going Grim the rooftops going north, Ponaturi the allies to the east. Bhuka, hit up the bars to the north and see if you can scour up any info and Puck… stay out of trouble while we're gone."

"I'm not a Bhuka, that's a completely different race of Goblinoid I'll have you know!" Scottie yelled at Ziz as he flew off his perch and off into the open skylight. The Desert Goblin turned to Xander and nodded. "He's not wrong though I'll go grease some palms at the local pub you found last night Sylva what was called again? Billies?"

"Willy's." Sylva corrected.

Scottisonovavitch nodded, "Yes that's it thank you."

Upon hearing the local bartenders name, Xander's gears started turning. "Willy… hmm… on second thought, I'm going to come with you Scottie, I've got some business of my own with the local bartender at the moment."

The goblin nodded his face losing some tension it had gained. "Of course sir. It relieves me a bit to have some backup actually."

"Scottie seriously, just call me Xander. Or at least call me by my name. No need to be so formal man."

"Of course Alexander," Scottie replied promptly.

Xander chuckled out, "Never change Scottie, never change."

**~FotP~**

Willy's was a hole in the wall. Literally. It was a hole in the side of an abandoned building with a small wooden sign overtop the hole that said "**Willy's Bar"**.

Ducking his head under the hole, Xander looked around the makeshift bar. Smoke lingered in the air, a ramshackle assortment of chairs and tables were set up haphazardly all around the place with a bar dominating the opposite wall. Three slightly unlevel shelves held everything from booze to blood to other more exotic substances for the patrons of this establishment. Over in the far corner Xander heard the mewling of kittens. Looking over he saw a trio of demons in the middle of a poker game.

'_Are they using kittens as poker chips?'_ Xander asked himself as he approached the bar and the nervous man who kept polishing the glass he was holding faster and faster as he came closer.

"W-Whadaya want?!" Willie stammered out. "I-I didn't do nuttin' I swear!"

Xander blinked. "Um, I'm Xander and this is Scottie," the teen motioned to the goblin who nodded respectfully.

"I know you is. You're one of the Slayers friends. Every Time she comes in here, she threatens me, an' breaks my stuff. But I didn't do nuttin I tell ya! So you tell her to leave me be! I run a… mostly legitimate business here."

Xander sighed. "I'm not here to break anything Willy I was hoping you and I could set up a business arrangement of sorts."

The man eyed Xander shrewdly. "What kinda business we talkin' bout lad?"

In response, Xander reached into his pocket and pulled some gold out of his inventory and dropped it on the bartop. Willy watched it fall with wide eyes. "I have access to funds I need help… _liquidating_. Do you think you can help me?"

"I… I do believe I can do that for say… one percent of the profits yeah?"

"One? I was gonna give you ten but…" Xander began only for the barman to cut him off.

"T-T-Ten percent?" Willy said salivating at the thought.

Xander nodded. "Yes do you think you could find a good gold broker who would give me a good price for these?"

Willy picked up one of the coins and examined it. "What you got here lad, is a Roman Aureus, a roman gold coin. You could sell it for its gold content and net yourself about eight-hundred sixty four bucks a coin I'd say going by weight. Or, you could sell 'em to collectors and get anywhere from fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred bucks each."

Xander blinked, "Damn!"

"Yeah you got yourself a fine fortune here. Lose a relative lately that collected coins or sumthin'?" Willy asked.

Xander shook his head, grinning. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but this is only the tip of the iceberg."

"You don't say?" Willy's eyes gleamed excitedly.

"I do I wanted to liquidate half my current assets which would be about… two thousand three hundred fifteen coins just like these here."

Willy's jaw dropped. For a full minute he just stared at Xander. "T-Two thousand three hundred you said?"

"And fifteen yes," Xander nodded before becoming confused. "Why is this going to be a problem?"

Willy snapped out of his funk and gave Xander a deadpan look. "Lad do you know how much money you'd be making if you got even a thousand dollars for each of these coins?"

Xander did some quick math in his head. "Um… oh… a couple of million dollars in change."

Willy snorted. "Yeah a couple mill and a few hundred thousand in change. And that's only half?! What did you do, slay a dragon or sumthin'?"

"Nope," Xander replied honestly. "Can you actually get us that kind of money though?"

The slightly sleazy barman nodded. "I can, but I'd need at least fifteen percent to pay for bribes, insurance to avoid the FBI and other costs."

Xander nodded. "Okay, but why not just sell it all at once?"

The barman sighed. "What the hell are they teachin' you kids in school these days? Alright thug-o-nomics one-o-one. You sell stuff that are valuable to make a profit. If we flood the damn market with these things, they'll become worthless. Buy cheap, sell dear, sort out the valuable from the junk and don't let the valuable become junk by over selling. Got it?"

Xander nodded,"Got it."

"**+1 to Appraise," **The Path informed him.

Xander squinted a little and checked Willies level.

"**Level 15 Fence [Skill Trainer: Appraise]"**

"**You have found your first skill trainer! These people can (for a fee) train your skills but only ten ranks so use them wisely." **

'_Well that's another thing I didn't know,_' Xander thought to himself. "You should teach the economic class at our school, you make it so much simpler than our teacher does… him and his damn pie charts."

"You couldn't pay me to do that kid. Sittin' in a damn classroom teachin' sprats like you? No thanks. But if you ever wanna learn a thing or two come and see me and I'll show you the ropes… for a fee a'course," Willy grinned.

Xander grinned back, "Sure, by the way I don't suppose another kid my age, bit shorter than me has come in here recently? Goes by Ford?"

"Well I can't seem to rightly recall. If only I had something to jog my memory. Something shiny like…" Willy began a grin plastered on his face.

In response Xander flicked a couple of gold his way, which the man greedily snatched up. "Ah yes now I remember. The little knob came in just last night as I recall asking where he could get in touch with a vampire of all things."

"What?" Xander's tone was deadpan flat. "Did he say why?"

"He did not but he said if one came round I could find him at this address," Willy handed him a card that had an address written on the back.

"**Quest: Lying in Wait. Updated.**

**Objective: Look into the strange address."**

"Thanks Willy you've been a big help Xander took a nearby napkin and wrote down his phone number on it. "This is my number, call me once you got the deals set up and I'll give you the gold yeah?"

"Not gonna trust me and just leave it with me lad?" Willy asked, sounding mock offended.

"I was born at night but not last night Willie," Xander deadpanned. He nodded to what little gold remained on the bartop. "Show me I can trust you by selling that first and not cheating me, and then we'll talk."

The barman grinned as if proud. "Smart move lad. Smart move," Before he moved the rest of the coins under the bar.

"Okay Scottie…" Xander looked around and didn't see the Goblin. "Scottie?"

"Over here Alexander!" The desert goblin waved from his seat over at the kitten poker table.

Xander shook his head in humor and amazement. While he was talking business with the barman, his goblin companion had inserted himself into a poker game and seemed to be winning if the box full of live kittens by his feet were any indication. Xander walked over. "Well, I see you've been busy buddy."

Scottie grinned. "Yes, delightful little game this Texas Hold Em. I had no idea this was how slavery of lower lifeforms worked in this dimension."

"Umm, its not Scottie."

"They why do we keep betting with the beastfolk?" Scottie asked looking down at his box of kittens.

"Those… those aren't beastfolk Scottie, those are cats. Household pets. I honestly have no idea why they were using them to bet with in the first place," Xander explained.

"Ah, I see," He picked a kitten, all white with a pair of mismatched blue and green eyes up by the scruff of its neck and held it up to eye level. "You would've been the foreman of my new work force if possible. You look strong."

"Meow!" the kitten said before it started purring and rubbing its head against the goblin's hand.

Scottie agreed. "Yes, and many sharp teeth too," He then set it down on his lap where it curled up and fell asleep. Scottie absentmindedly gently ran a clawed hand through its fur as he looked at his fellow compatriots at the table. "I don't suppose any of you have any information about a lad named Billy Fordham would you?"

"I was here when he came in the other night," One spoke up. He had a wrinkly face like a bloodhound with pigs ears flopping out of the side of his head. "He didn't stay long but what he was feeling, anxious, so very anxious. And scared to. Not of us but… of something else."

Scottie asked the pertinent question. "You're empathic Clem?"

The demon nodded. "That's why I'm usually so good at cards it's easy to tell when someone has a good hand when you can feel their joy, their triumph…"

"You cheatin' son of whore!" One demon at the table snarled starting to stand up only to be forced to sit down when he felt a silver blade at his throat courtesy of Xander.

"Thanks," Clem said before he continued. "But yeah anyway something was weighing on that kid. I heard he was asking for Spike but he weren't around that day. I drink with him every now and then. He's not so bad as long as you don't get him wasted cause then he starts singing _God awful _poetry."

That made Xander laugh. "Thanks Clem, I needed that."

"Anytime."

Xander then got an idea Reaching into his inventory again he pulled out twenty gold and tossed the bag at Clem. "Here, I need someone to keep me informed of the goings on around here and the occasional bodyguard for Scottie here," He patted the goblin on the shoulder.

"Alexander, I can handle myself well enough," Scottie protested.

"I look out for my friends," Xander said by way of explanation.

When Clem upended the bag and saw gold, his eyes bulged. "I um uh…."

"Did I not pay you enough or something dude?" Xander asked he didn't want to short anybody.

Clem rapidly shook his head. "No, no, no, no! This… this is plenty! I'm your demon whenever you need me boss."

'_That's the second person to call me boss now,' _Xander thought to himself. "Well just keep Scottie informed of the goings on around here, you know ears to the ground kinda stuff, and don't let him get jumped."

"Can do."

Xander looked at the two remaining demons who were looking at Xander hopefully. "I suppose you'd like to be hired on too huh?"

The two nodded. One looked like a classical satyr while the one he'd pulled a knife on was what he could best describe as an Efreeti All red skin black hair with a pointed beard and golden eyes.

Xander pulled out two more small pouches of gold and tossed one to each demon. "Fine but no funny business and if I find your trying to cheat me… well… You'll go _under _that bridge then I'll cross it."

The trio of demons nodded. Message received.

Xander turned to the Goblin. "You gonna be okay here by yourself? I got a lead on Fords location and I'm about to go check it out."

"Just a moment, let me contact the others and let them know," Scottie pulled a piece of copper wire out of his coat pocket and wrapped it around his finger before he asked for the information.

"Target is located at a building called the Sunset Club on… East and Central Boulevard," Scottie needed Xander to translate some of the shorthand for him.

Xander was impressed. "You know magic?"

"I dabble," Scottie admitted. "My talents mostly lie in the art of subterfuge. I'm something of an investigator really."

The teen found himself curious. "Investigating _what exactly_?"

"Magic ruins," Scottie replied, " they'd pop up in the desert all the time. The sands would get blown away revealing some ancient long buried tome and I just couldn't hold back my curiosity. So I began exploring them. Had to run away from a dry lich once."

"Wow, it's amazing your still alive."

"I know, I did escape with his necklace, though the damn Bugbear took it from me before clasping me in irons."

"Why didn't you just you know, _use_ the amulet?"

Scottie gave Xander a deadpan look. "With all due respect Alexander, would you use an amulet you _stole_ from a lich of all people?"

The teen didn't get to reply because all of the sudden the ground shook.

"What the _hell_ was that?!" Willy asked, scared out of his wits.

"**+28,800EXP."**

"Ha! Those dumbasses just finished blowing themselves up is what! C'mon Scottie, let's go collect our plunder."

"But what about the Sunset Club Alexander?"

The teen replied. "It can wait, we've got item drops to collect. Besides don't you _want_ your amulet back?"

"Yes."

"Well then c'mon!" Xander said leading the way out of the bar.

**~FotP~**

There was a giant ass hole in the middle of main street. It was clear as day where the explosion happened. Wasting no time, Xander made his way forward and jumped down into the goblin made pit before any cops or emergency responders could arrive on the scene. He fell a good five feet before land feet first on his hands and knees. Taking to his feet, Xander looked around. The trash fort had been blasted clean in half as if a red dragon had used its breath weapon on it. The stench of scorched metal, flesh and garbage fusing together hit Xander's nose making him crinkle it in disgust as he made his way forward to collect his spoils of deception.

'_Time,' _He thought to himself as he picked up the first of many coin pouches containing silver coins.

"**1:36pm."**

"I've got plenty of time to loot this place. Janna's gonna have my head for skipping school today but… meh."

The teen started picking up the small loot bags wherever he found them. He found several hundred silver, a magic Ring of Sustenance which he decided to sell because he enjoyed eating Janna's food thank you very much, a handful of iron daggers and leather bucklers, down in the Worg pit he found several enchanted rubies, vials full of Worg blood, and worg hides. Then he made his way into the boss tent which was a scorched half melted mess.

He picked up the first bag and found a Dwarven Urglosh and a ring of endure elements along with fifteen gold. "Well you must've been one of the Hobgoblins."

The other Hobgoblin had a Ring of Protection which in the end did him fuck all, a Cleaver, and five gold.

Then there was the Bugbear.

In his loot sack Xander found Scottie's amulet like he expected… what he didn't expect to find was a mottled grey cloak, fifty platinum, and a Masterwork Wand.

It was made of polished ebony wood and topped with a pointed piece of ruby.

"Well hello Janna's new weapon," Xander said as he tucked it away in his inventory donning the cloak as he did so.

Xander could immediately tell the cloak was magical somehow, he just didn't know how. "_Well, it's not like I don't know a local appraiser or anything_," He thought to himself as he made his way back to Willy's Bar.

**~FotP~**

"Where the fuck did you get all this?!" Willy asked upon seeing the haul Xander had laid out on his bartop. "Did it have anything to do with the explosion earlier?"

Xander grinned and replied, "I can neither confirm nor deny that."

"Yeah, I bet not," The barman scoffed. "Let's see here, this is three of your standard minor health potion. This is a Ring of Protection. These are some leather shields, a riveted leather armor, a handful of iron daggers, some magic rubies, a dwarven Urgolash."

Xander nodded. "What about the cloak I'm wearing?"

Willy peered at it for a second. "Holy shit! Unless my eyes deceive me, I do believe that is a Cloak of Stone. That's probably the most expensive thing of the bunch."

Xander took back the potions, the rings, rubies, and the riveted leather armor and one shield. Thinking Jonathan could use the armor. "Sell the rest."

"You ain't gonna get much for all of this, it's just iron and leather," Willy told the kid while eyeing the ring of sustenance to use for later.

"Then you sell it and keep the proceeds as your fifteen percent cut. I know your type Willy, you'd be willing to upcharge anyone for anything."

The bartender grinned. "I'd be insulted if it weren't true. Alright. I'll sell the crap you don't want and I'll deduct it from my cut of the gold sales. Your pretty business savvy kid."

"Also sell this," Xander gave him half of the platinum he had on him.

"You dealin' in Platinum now too?!" Willy's grin got wider. "Alright then. These'll go for about three hundred fifty an ounce and they weigh about an ounce an' a half each so… your looking at a little over thirteen grand here kid, before I take my cut of course."

"Wow. Who knew making money could be _so_ easy?" The sarcasm in his tone was palpable. He then showed the man the amulet. "What's this do?"

Willie went blank for a moment. "Bless my soul I do believe that's an Amulet of the Planes… provided one knows what their doing when they use it they can travel… anywhere. How much you want for it?"

"Not for sale," Xander replied slipping it into his inventory.

"Ah c'mon kid, you're making me sell all the crap! You gotta let me sell one choice bit to reel people in!"

Xander sighed before he looked through his inventory. He tossed Willie the Dwarven Urgrosh. "Here."

"Thank you, pleasure doin' business with you," Willie said nodding happily towards the boy as he left.

'_Time,' _Xander thought as he left Willie's bar for the second time that day.

"**2:45pm"**

"Took me over an hour… damn. Well, I should go see what this Sunset Club is all about."

Xander suddenly felt his phone vibrate. He answered it and saw he had a dozen missed texts. Most of them from Janna but a couple came from Jonathan,Buffy, Willow, and even one from Giles. All of them wanted to know where he was and if he was alright. Worried that he might've been caught in the explosion from earlier.

"Oh boy, am _I_ in trouble," The teen said to himself before stopping in his tracks upon having an epiphany.. "Huh, I'm _actually_ in trouble because an adult gives enough of a shit about me to worry about where I am for once… that is both heartwarming and terrifying at the same time." He shrugged. "Well time to get this shit show on the road."

He sent a quick mass text.

"I'm fine just had to take off. Needed to take care of a family thing."

Xander then took off towards the Sunset Club. Spending his skill points on the way.

**~FotP~**

The address led to an old bomb shelter turned nightclub. '_This place is a club?_' Xander thought eyebrow raised as he made his way inside. The theme was gothic vampire as the patrons of this place were dressed as such. Several classic black and white versions of Dracula were playing on various screens. "There be a bunch of fucking emo vampire fanboys," Xander muttered to himself as he made his way down the stairs, using his new cloak to blend into the background as he searched for Ford. He found him talking in the corner in hushed tones with an older boy wearing a blue cape. Xander silently made his way over to the duo. As he did, he did his best to home in on their conversation.

"-Diego. Come on man, its Diego now. But seriously Ford, the rent on this place is due in a month, who's going to cover that?" The other one said

"Don't worry about it Marvin," Ford said grinning triumphantly. "I'll have it all sorted out soon enough."

Xander clasped his hand down on Ford's shoulder his grip like iron, and breaking his hidden status as he said, "Ford, we need to talk."

"H-Harris?! W-What are you doing here?" Ford said in a scared and pained tone.

Xander would usually crack a joke to ease the tension, but right now, he wanted Ford to be tense, to be frightened. "I found it odd that no one was talking about the new kid in school so I decided to do some investigating… and look where it led me," Xander smiled at the other boy but it didn't meet his eyes. "So tell me Ford, what's really going on here?

"Hey man," 'Diego began only to shrink back with Xander fixed him with a glare.

"Stay out this you undead wannabe," Xander turned his attention back to Ford. "Well Fordham, _I'm waiting_."

Ford seemed to regain some confidence as he grinned and replied, "I don't need to tell you shit Harris!"

Xander kneed him in the stomach. "Wrong answer!" Xander pulled a hunting knife from under his cloak and pressed it close to Billy's under eyelid before he continued. "Now, I'm going to count to ten, and if you don't tell me what your up to by then…" Xander chuckled. "Well you're going to have depth perception problems man."

Now normally, Xander wouldn't be this violent towards a human being but he recalled what the price of failure of this mission would be… Buffy's death. So he was in no mood to be nice.

"Dude, you can't do this!" Diego said sounding frantic.

Xander's eyes flicked to him, "Watch me. One."

Ford started to sweat.

"Two."

Diego tried to rush him only for a spear shaft to block his way. Xander looked behind him and nodded to G'narl. "Thanks G'narl. Three."

"The fuck _is_ that thing?!" Diego asked terrified.

Xander shook his head. "He's a goblin you damn racist. Four," Xander heard the sound of wingbeats in the air and spoke, "Ziz, keep the rest of these emo shits back, but don't hurt em. Five."

"You got it boss,." Ziz plugged the tips of his tails into wall outlets absorbing the electricity and zapping any kid who tried to get too close… or anyone that just looked at him funny, which was most of them.

"Excuse me, pardon me miss, thousand pardons," Scottie said as he made his way through the crowd.

"Move ya damn brats!" Clem said raising his voice and forcing the kids to form a hole for him and his charge to pass through.

Scottie greeted cordially as if his boss wasn't holding a knife to someone's eye. "Ah, Alexander, I see you've located Mr. Fordham."

"Indeed, I have Scottie. Six… you know Ford I might not gouge out your eye after all…"

"R-Really?" The teen said sounding relieved.

Xander lowered his weapon, "No, I think instead I'll feed you Clem over there."

Clem scowled. "Please don't boss, he looks awful stringy," Clem approached and gave Ford a sniff before he recoiled a bit. "And I think he's startin' to spoil on top of all that. He's got the beginin' stench of death on him he does."

Xander turned back to Ford and fixing him with a hard glare he said, "Something you want to tell the rest of the group Ford?"

"I have terminal brain cancer. I've got six months to live. So it's either become a vampire or die," Ford stated.

Xander grimaced before he slapped Ford upside the head. "You dumbass! Vampirism isn't the easy out you think it is! When you get turned your soul gets sent to… well, I wanna say hell but I'm not sure," Xander admitted before he continued. "The point is, _your _not the one in control! Your body just gets turned into a meatsuit for a demon to wear. _You_ are gone."

Ford shook his head in denial. "No that can't be true! Spike he," Ford was silenced when Xander's blade found its way to his throat again.

"You made a deal with Spike? What kind of deal did you make Ford? You get turned for what? YOU GET TURNED FOR WHAT?! Xander raised his voice and pressed his blades closer drawing a bit of blood from Ford's neck when the boy didn't answer right away.

"Buffy," Ford said quietly. "I give him Buffy and he makes me immor… a vampire."

Xander's face turned stone cold and emotionless. "I have half a mind to kill you, right here, right now in a crowded room full of dozens of witnesses."

"We can _get rid_ of the witnesses," Ziz offered grinning maliciously, causing everyone to shift uneasily.

Xander lowered his blades which was quivering due to his rage. "No, he's not worth a murder rap," Xander fixed Ford with a look of utter disgust and contempt. "You've got by nightfall to get out of Sunnydale, and if your not gone by then, I'm lifting Ziz's no killing human's rule on you specifically."

The Vinayana grinned. "Oh, _do_ stick around then, we can have all kinds of fun before you expire, I'm sure."

Ford glanced at the winged goblinoid then at Xander who nodded towards the door. "I'd get to running if I were you."

Ford started doing just that, only for Xander to stop him by putting a hand on his shoulder. "But before you go your going to do one thing for me."

"W-What's that?" Ford said fearfully.

"You're going to call Spike and tell him you've got Buffy here," Xander said offering him his cellphone. "I'm sure he gave you a number to contact him by right?"

"Y-yeah, but if he finds out I sold him out…" Ford began.

Xander just grinned. "All the more reason for you to get out of town by sundown huh?"

As Ford shakily dialed Spikes number, Xander turned to the rest of the Sunset Club, saying, "I really hope I don't have to spell it out that you all need to clear out and why right?" The teens shook their heads and started leaving en masse, prompting Xander to turn to his Goblin companions, "How would you guys feel about offing some vamps?"

"Eh boss?" Clem said uncomfortably.

"Go back to the bar Clem, we don't need you allegiance known. Scottie, do you wanna stay and fight or go back to Willie's with Clem?"

The Goblin grinned, "I'll stay if it's all the same to you. I'm more than just an info broker you know? I've gotten my hands dirty plenty in my day," From his jacket, Scottie produced several what looked like oil slicked daggers.

"Sylva, you good to go too?"

"Of course Alexander," The Tree Grim spoke from the steel rafters. "I didn't come down because it looked too… crowded for my taste."

The teen nodded. "Understandable stay up there you can be our overwatch and firesupport."

Slyva didn't know what overwatch was but she knew firesupport when she heard it. "Understood."

Xander turned and pointed to the Ponaturi and the Desert Goblin. "G'narl, see if you and Scottie can rig up some traps with the stuff in this place."

Gnarl nodded. Already scoping out the loose piping and wooden furniture. "Your will be done Alexander."

The ranger then turned to Ziz. "Ziz, just do what you always do and be an annoying fucker."

"Kahahaha!" The Vinayaka laughed.

"Let's give em hell people!" Xander encouraged.

**~FotP~**

Spike strutted into the Sunset Club like he owned the place. With a cocky grin on his face. The little Poofer, Wally or whatever his name was, had actually managed to bag the Slayer for him, on top of already letting one of his mooks nab the Du Lac Manuscript right out from under the Slayer's nose. He may have hated the ponce, but he had to admit, he was bloody effective.

Spike felt his foot snag on something and he heard a cord break and heard a _whoosh_ of displaced air as something heavy started barreling towards him. It was only his centuries of experience and honed combat instincts that saved him. Spike rolled away avoiding getting dusted by a spiked pillar as it swung low from above on the second story dusting the first half dozen of the minions he'd brought with him.

"Dru," Spike called out frantically, as the mad seeress insisted on coming with him on this foray, "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine Spiky, it seems Kitten has come out to play," Drusilla said in her faraway tone.

Spike looked around not seeing anything but collecting dust piles. As the spiked pillar slowly came to a stop. "Oh yeah? Well, why don't you come out and fight like a man huh _Kitten_?"

The only effect taunt of the bleach blonde Master Vampire had was for the pneumatic hiss of air to herald the firing of wooden stakes into the ranks of his minions.

"Drusilla?!" Spike called looking around and still spotting no one.

"I'm fine William one of ours was kind enough to shield me with his body. Sam I think his name was."

Spike was getting pissed now. He game-faced and called out. "Come out and face me coward!"

"Ooh, scary," An amused voice spoke from behind him.

Spike whirled around to see a human standing not too far away from him, his face hidden in the shadows of a mottled grey cloak. He was wearing leather armor with the chest piece lined in silver depicting a fanged grinning skull. In either hand, he held a foot long silver hunting knife.

"Think you're clever do ya git?" Spike growled at him circling around Xander and glaring at his minions as they approached silently telling them to stay back.

"More than you, certainly Xander replied easily. "I mean, you never even _once_ thought this was a trap, it made it _so easy_ to con you."

"Just who the fuck are you anyway?" Spike hissed anger rising.

Xander considered lowering his hood and letting Spike know who just dusted his mooks but thought better of it. '_Why not let him think another threat besides the Slayer is out there?'_ He thought to himself. "I'm just a simple Ranger. One who hunts things like you for sport."

The Master Vampire stopped pacing around Xander and looked at him like he was crazy before he shook his head and laughed. "Nu-uh, that's not how this is supposed to work. _you're prey_ and _we're_ the predator got it?" Spike told him.

"Then how come more than a dozen of your own are done and dusted while I'm still standing?" Xander retorted.

"Good point… let's fix that!" Spike said before he tried to jump Xander from behind.

_Tried_ being the keyword. Xander was immune to flanking attacks that weren't being delivered from stealth, and stealth wasn't Spike's forte, so it was nothing for Xander to jump up and deliver a back kick to Spike's face, sending him falling onto his back. As the vampire pulled himself to his feet, Xander glanced at his level.

"**Level 14 Brawler Master Vampire. CR12."**

'_Well fuck, its a good think he's an arrogant fucker or I'd be dead already,'_ Xander thought to himself as he readied his blades.

"Your gonna pay for that." Spike promised his eyes a sulfuric yellow and face twisted into the likeness of bat as he took to his feet.

"Prove it," Xander said before he released a shrill whistle, the signal for the goblins to attack.

Ziz swooped down from above, cackling madly molotov cocktails in each hand which he chucked into the vamperic horde. Setting four ablaze was he wrapped his razor scarf around the neck of a fifth and dragged it off, zapping it periodically with lightning from his tail.

Scottie proved he was certainly a rogue as he dashed from the shadows stabbing vampires with his dagger. Not lethally… as if he did that, his poison couldn't take effect. He led those he'd stabbed on a merry chase, waiting for his venom to kick in. It didn't take long, soon enough, the five or so vampires chasing him collapsed, bits and pieces of their bodies rotting and falling off.

"W-What the fuck did you do to us?!" One of the fledglings asked as the Desert Goblin approached, slowly eyeing his slightly bloody daggers.

"Nothing much, just the alchemical equivalent of Mummies' Rot. It's a rather nasty curse that… well, I'm sure you've figured it out already," The Desert Goblin replied before stabbing each fledgling in the heart, dusting them. "You got your _damn dust_ on my suit, you bastards."

G'narl had found himself a drill and with a bit of creativity only a goblin had and ripped it apart and jury rigged its innards to his spear. So now, when he hit a button on the shaft, The speartip spun, drilling into his foes when he stabbed them. When that stopped being so effective, he whipped out a fucking chainsaw, and with wicked glee on his face, waded his way through the undead horde screaming in glee about having found a modern day Terbutje. Blood, gore, and body parts followed in his wake.

Sylva meanwhile stuck to the iron rafters, slinging hot rocks from her sling into the remaining vampires, burning, scalding, and sometimes setting their clothes on fire and getting a kill.

That just left Spike and Xander who had been duking it out while all of this had been going on. Spike by now was covered in numerous bleeding burning cuts, whereas his 'prey' had yet to receive a single scrape. Everytime Spike tried to strike him he rolled out his grasp. Ducking dodging and weaving his way around his strikes.

"Stand still and fight like a man!" Spike roared in anger.

"If I did that, the only thing that would happen is me dying," the Ranger replied easily. "I know _full well_ the difference between the two of us vampire, and I have _no intention_ of fighting fair."

"Spikey," Drusilla had stepped in-between the two fighters. "It's time to go. Nothing more to be gained here. If you stay any longer you'll die. The Stars told me so."

"Dru, get back!" Spike demanded of his Sire.

Drusilla turned to Xander and smiled. "Kitten isn't going to hurt me, are you Kitten?"

Xander looked at her level.

"**Level 20 Vampire Seer. CR 7. [CR is currently halved]."**

He knew better than to fuck with someone who could see his every move before he made it. He lowered his blades, if only just. Xander nodded towards the exit. "Leave."

Drusilla curtsied. "Thank you every so much Kitten."

Xander's scowl could be seen from the shadows of his hood. "Don't call me Kitten."

"Of course Sandy, come along William, we've had enough fun for one night," Drusilla said.

Spike looked like he wanted to object but in the end, gave in to his sire's whims. "Fine," He glared at the Ranger. "This ain't over cloak and dagger! I'll be back, you'll see!"

Xander watched them go. Once they'd left, he sighed to himself. "Of course the crazy one likes me," He said to himself. "That's just my luck."

"Who are you?" Xander heard a familiar voice coming from the entrance of the Sunset Club. He turned to see the Slayer, Willow, and Angel himself standing there, staring at him.

'_Can these people seriously not see into the shadows of a hood?'_ Xander thought to himself. He replied, "I'm the Ranger, I hunt the undead. There were plenty here just now."

Scottie and the other's flanked their leader, with the Desert Goblin piping up. "Is there anything else you require of us Don?"

"Your name is Don?" Buffy asked.

Angel shook his head and corrected the Slayer. "No, I think he meant Don as in Mob Boss."

'_The fuck is Scottie doing right now? Ah to hell with it, might as well roll with it,' _Xander thought. Sheathing his knives he flicked his hand out and commanded. "Collect what you can from the fallen, usual rates apply, my Consigliere."

The rogue grinned. Xander didn't like that look. "Of course Don Quixote."

Willow blinked. "Don Quixote, are you serious?"

Xander glared at her from the darkness of his cowl. "Is my name somehow _funny_ miss?"

Willow shrank back. "N-No sir."

"Don't threaten my friends," Buffy told the gangster.

"So far I haven't threatened anyone. In fact, I've been doing your job for you if I hazard a guess and you're the "Slayer"," The air quotes were in his tone. As he looked at her level.

"**Level 12 Vampire Slayer."**

"I am," Buffy said crossing her arms. "And I don't know if I want a mob boss in my town."

"Your town?" Xander couldn't believe the shit he was hearing. He knew damn well Buffy didn't even _want _to be the Slayer, She'd only lived her a year while Xander had been here his _entire life_ so where did she get off calling Sunnydale _her_ town? "What gives you the right to call Sunnydale your town, when you don't even want the job… _sherriff_?"

Buffy lost her footing when the verbal barb struck. "I…" She looked down, before looking back up. "I may not want the job, but it's mine and if I can use it to protect people, than I should! What about you and your demon horde?"

"Yeah, you're hardly better than Spike," piped up Willow.

"They are _Goblins!_ Not corpse-possessing demons, you _racists_," Xander said hotly in defense of his crew.

"Oh, sorry," Willow apologized.

Hearing no apology coming from the Slayer Xander sighed. "Look Slayer, someone called Ford tried to sell you out to a bleach blonde vampire."

"Ford… Ford wouldn't do that," Buffy denied shaking her head.

Xander sighed. He hated playing the bad guy, but someone had to. "He had terminal brain cancer. He was gonna sell you up the river so Blondie would turn him into a vamp."

"Ford did? No he…" Buffy stopped when Angel put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's… he's telling the truth Buffy. I can hear it in his heartbeat. It's not wavering at all."

It sucked having to stand there and see Buffy look so shattered but Xander had a part to play at the moment. Once the Slayer managed to collect herself she asked. "What happened to Ford?"

"Well, I considered killing him right then. You see, the Mob, we value loyalty above all else you understand," Xander said conversationally walking back and forth so he didn't have to keep looking at Buffy hugging Angel. "But then I decided I would give him till sundown to leave town. As by then, he'd be a deadman either way. If not by the hand of me and my associates, then by Spike and his."

"So he's gone then," Buffy said, seemingly to herself.

Xander stopped and nodded. "He is Slayer, and for his sake, I'd better _never _see him again living or undead. I _do not_ take kindly to betrayal," Xander's tone was dark and foreboding. Nobody fucked with his friends.

Buffy nodded. "Thanks… I guess I owe you one. I mean, I'm still not happy your here but you did save me from getting served to Spike on a silver platter and you seem to hate vampires as much as me so… thanks."

"Your welcome Slayer… it's _Elizabeth_ isn't it?" there was a joking titter in Don Quixote's voice as he asked that question.

Buffy scowled. "Most people call me Buffy."

Xander was sure she could see his smirk as her scowl deepended when he replied. "Oh, I'm sure they do Elizabeth."

"**Quest: Laying in Wait Completed. +2,300EXP, +10 Buffy Affection, +15 Fear in Vampire Faction, +200 Gold.**

**Bonus Objective: Cure Ford's Cancer. Failed**

**Bonus Objective: Force Spike to Withdraw. Success + 250EXP."**

"**You gained 1,080 gold from item drops picked up by your companions, and five rubies worth 625 gold. And +450EXP for all the vampires slain."**

"Sir," Scottie, said, "All drops have been collected."

"I noticed," Xander sighed before dusting his hands off on his pants, "Well then, we're done here. Head back to base Scottie," He turned to the humans and ensouled vampire. "I hope you have a pleasant rest of your evening Elizabeth." Xander pulled at his cowl like one would tip their hat before he sunk into the cement using the power of his cloak. Xander landed in the sewers below the Sunset Club and began a slow meandering trek back to Janna's house. '_I hope she doesn't yell at me too much, I'm beat.' _

**~FotP~**

Xander found the air crushed out of his chest the moment he walked through the front door. It took the boy a moment to figure out what was going on. '_Oh, Janna's hugging me,' _He realized after a moment. It took him a moment to return the embrace.

"Thank goodness you're alright," The Romani Witch pulled back and slapped him on the arm. "What _were _you thinking?! Fighting Spike all by yourself?"

"I wasn't _all_ by myself Jan, I had the Goblins as backup." Xander replied.

Janna sighed as she led Xander into the kitchen by his hand. "Well thank goodness you had enough commonsense to at least bring backup, if not enough to _not_ fight a four hundred year old master vampire who has killed _two_ Slayers."

Xander blinked. "You… aren't upset I skipped school?"

She turned and gave her ward a dry look. "I knew nothing could stop you the moment I got the quest notification. So no, I'm not upset. I just wish you would've waited so as to include Jonathan and I."

"Yeah bro what gives?" Jonathan said from his seat at the table. "We're supposed to do things together as a party."

"Sorry guys… speaking of party, here ya go Johnny," Xander materialized the set of riveted leather mail and tossed it to him. Then did the same with the Wand of Fireballs and handed it handle first to Janna, along with a sack full of all the gems he'd collected so far.

"Sweet, some actual armor. Thanks Xander," Jonathan said trying it on.

Janna added the jewels to the growing horde in her inventory. "And thank you for the wand."

Xander also handed everyone a health potion, and gave Janna the Ring of Protection since she had the lowest Armor Class out of all of them. "I'm going to keep this Ring of Endure Elements okay Jonathan?"

"Sure dude, I got spells for that anyway," Jonathan replied as Xander slipped the ring on his finger. "Um, by the way, if I ever needed money for anything, you'd spot me right?"

"Of course," Xander replied. "I'm just hoarding gold like a dragon because I want to become an artificer... eventually."

Jonathan's eyes widened, then he nodded in understanding. "Ohh… yeah that makes sense artificing costs serious dosh."

"That's magical item creation if I recall?" Janna asked for clarification.

"Yep, its scary what can be made by an Artificer." Jonathan said, "But they need half of the worth of the item they intend to create in gold so…"

"So Xander is going to hoard gold like a red dragon." Janna surmised.

Xander nodded. "I am… though I don't know why no one could tell who I was with my hood up."

"**Title gained: Vigilante: Ranger**

**Title Gained: Don Quixote: Mob Boss."**

"Okay what kind of fuckery is this," He clicked on the first title. And an info bubble popped up.

"**Vigilate allows you to hide you're less than savory actions behind a separate persona, in this case known as the Ranger. This persona can never be identified as Alexander Harris unless you reveal your dual identity to another or your separate identity becomes public knowledge, thus losing you this title. You can swap between the social persona of Alexander Harris and the Ranger at will."**

Xander blinked. "Well damn, this is useful."

"What is it?" Jonathan asked.

"I gained a title that basically turns me into Batman. In the Cowl, I'm Batman, out of the Cowl, I'm Xander."

Awesome… wish I had a cool title," Jonathan said. It was then that a window popped up in front of him.

"**Title Gained, Goblin Savior. Due to your efforts of trying to save Goblins from certain doom, you have been awarded this title. All goblins shall immediately start off as neutral towards you due to your actions instead of outright hostile."**

"Never mind just got one," Jonathan said. "It makes all Goblins not outright hate me."

"Sweet," Xander said as the two boys bumped fists.

Jonathan then asked. "What's your other title do?"

"**Don Quixote: Mob Boss. Congratulations you've formed your own branch of the Mob! With you as the Don, you can now form a power structure similar to a guild. (You can even turn your Famigla into a guild later if you so desire). With it, you can set up a power structure consisting of you the Don (The Boss) at the Top with a Consiligure ( you're right hand man), an Underboss (Your lieutenant) that gives out orders to your three Cappregimes (Captains), who themselves give orders to your Soldiers.**

**With this Title you can do various crimes from ranging from racketeering, ****smuggling, fraud, counterfeiting, robbery, bribery, assault, ****money laundering****, illegal gambling, ****loan sharking****, weapons trafficking, drug trafficking, ****extortion****, ****fencing****, murder, prostitution, pornography, and theft."**

"Well I'm sure as hell not doing prostitution and pronography. I have standards thank you," Xander said to himself.

"What?" Both Jonathan and Janna said looking at Xander like he'd grown a second head.

"My second title made me the Don of a Mafia Family I can do… Mafia things…"

Janna rubbed her temples as she felt a headache coming on. "Oh dear. I'm almost afraid to ask but, what else does it do?"

"Hang on and I'll tell you." When you or your familia commit crimes you get Crime Experience Points, (Crime EXP) Which fills a separate EXP bar that, as it levels up, it allows your entire famiglia to become more skilled and pull off greater crimes with higher chances of success. Crimes can even be used to complete quests if used creatively, allowing you to get both Crime EXP and regular EXP at the same time. Additionally, Don Quixote: Mob Boss acts just like Vigilante Ranger in that it is separate from Alexander Harris. Thus, as long as you don't declare yourself a mob boss publically, no one will know you're a made man. Only those you accept into your Famiglia will know the truth."

Xander read all this out loud.

"Dude… this is so _cool_!" Jonathan said. "Can I be your Underboss?"

"Okay." Xander said with a shrug.

"**Title Gained: Underboss "The Doctor" **

"This title allows you to give orders to those of lower rank in the Famiglia and grants all healing spells one extra hit die than normal per their level," Jonathan read aloud. "Sweet."

"But…" Janna said, "Do you really want to be a criminal?"

Xander looked at her, "Jan, it's all in what you define as criminal I suppose. I mean _technically speaking_ I've already started fencing goods and laundering money just today by having Willy turn some of my gold into actual cash, and sell the shitty drops none of us were going to use. Plus all thoes counts of murder with all the vamps we've dusted, plus the goblins, and the destruction of public property..."

"Alright I get it," Janna said. "None of us are exactly on the up and up are we? What's my position in the Familgila dare I ask?"

"You can be my other Constiligere if you like. Scottie is one already but since your kinda sorta my guardian it makes sense."

"**Title Gained: Constiligere: Romani Queen."**

"While the Don rules from the shadows, you act as his face when he is unable to act. Additionally you may use all of your hexes one additional time each day." Janna read. "So, we're really doing this aren't we?"

Xander shrugged. "I don't see why not? I also feel like we've had a similar conversation before."

Janna just smiled. "Quiet you, and make sure you finish your daily exercises before dinner."

"Oh right," Xander started doing push ups. As he did he asked Jonathan. "So what's your daily quest like Jonathan?"

"I need to pray for two hours everyday to my deity." Jonathan replied.

Xander shook his head and complained. "Why am I the only one that has to do any real work to complete his daily quest?"

"Probably because Rangers are the most combat intensive of the three of us," Jonathan noted.

Xander sent his friend a glare as he finished a push up. "I call shenanigans, Cleric's need to be buff too you know?"

Jonathan nodded, "Yeah," he hesitantly agreed. "But most of my power is _divinely _given. Hell, I can even buff my stats with spells. You _need _to be physically fit to do even half the stuff expected of a Ranger or a Fighter."

"I know, but that's not going to stop me from complaining about how easy you two got it compared to me," Xander finished his push ups and flipped onto his back and started doing crunches. "What's your reward anyway?"

"Plus one to my Con and Wis."

Xander shook his head. "Damn, and all you gotta do is pray."

"For two hours _straight_. That takes a lot of concentration." Jonathan retorted.

Xander grunted in reply, focusing on his workout for a moment before saying, "So, what did I miss in class?"

The boys chatted as Janna proceeded to make dinner. A giant pot of Spaghetti sounded good to her, and felt oddly appropriate considering what they'd learned today. So soon enough the smell of pasta sauce filled the air.

"**Daily Quest Completed: 5/10. +4EXP."**

The notification popped up as soon as Janna said dinner was ready. Once they'd all finished eating, Xander sighed contently. "Well, at least its the weekend. I mean, the friggin path is probably still going to wake me up at the crack of dawn to run six miles like it always does but I've started getting used to it."

"So then," Janna began, "What are our plans for tomorrow?"

"Well, I suppose we should lay the groundwork for the Famigila. Two of the usual eight laws don't really apply to us." Xander said.

"Which are?" Jonathan asked.

"Ethnicity and No Facial Hair." Xander replied relying on his Godfather knowledge. "Ethinicity should be ovbious, since we have goblins and demons working for us, but I've always considered the facial hair thing stupid myself. It's my face and I'll grow hair out of it if I want to, thank you very much."

Everyone shared a laugh at that, and Janna proposed something, "What about instead of Ethnicity we have something along the lines of "No Pulse, No Membership."

"Love it," Xander said, "I don't have a problem with the rest of the rules of the Mob since they actually make sense, any objections?"

Jonathan and Janna shook their heads. Xander leaned back in his chair grinning. "I'm a friggin' Godfather. Wow, what's next am I gonna become a harem protagonist?"

"Don't taunt the Dungeon Master dude," Jonathan warned. "Especially not when the Dungeon Master is a literal reality warping god who is doing things mostly for your benefit."

"Point," Xander conceded. "It's Janus isn't it? The Dungeon Master?" Xander clarified going to his backpack and getting the plastic container that held the broken shards of the bust.

Johanthan nodded, " It is."

The next ten minutes consisted of the trio putting the bust back together, with Xander fitting the pieces while Janna and Jonathan used a simple Mending spell on it. Once it was done they received a popup.

"**Side Quest: ****Retrieve and Repair the Bust of Janus. Complete!**

**Reward: 200EXP, Divine Favor"**

"Okay so… what's Divine Favor do?" Xander asked no one in particular. "Cause I doubt it's the level one Cleric spell that gives luck bonuses on attack and damage rolls with weapons."

"_**You would be correct there Alexander,"**_ A voice inside of his head that sounded fatherly and jovial as the bust began to glow with crimson energy.

"Okay, who the fuck?" Xander said looking around.

"Janus," Jonathan said.

"_**Hello again Jonathan Levinson, and greetings Janna Kalderash and Alexander Lavelle Harris… or is it Kalderash now too?" **_He joked.

"Umm Kalderash doesn't have the same ring to it… No offense Janna. Also what about trials and junk?" Xander asked worriedly.

"**I took care of it for the most part don't worry. Suffice it to say, you won't have to deal with your legal system." **The Roman god waved away Xander's concerns. "_**As for what my divine favor is, it put it simply, it is the ability to cast spells from my domain of Portals."**_

"Oh great," Xander joked, "Spells for someone who can't cast them yet."

"Not to worry Alexander. I've got something special for my Champion. After all, if your going to be a Capo de Capi,you need a signet ring."

The statue briefly animated and its mouth opened with its tongue lolling out. Sitting on the tongue was a silver ring. On either end of the ring was the face of Janus carved into perfect likeness. Even his long curly beard was flawlessly represented. Four single carat diamonds set into each of the eye sockets. Xander picked up the ring intent on examining it. The moment he touched it, it bound itself onto his middle right finger. On then did he get its stats.

"**Ring to Anywhere. Classification: Relic. Value: 55,500g**

**Binds on Pickup. This item is the Relic of Janus. It is gifted to his Chosen Champion. The Ring, can open portals to any dimension or area of the users choice so long as he presses the ring into a gap or hole large enough to act as a door. This ability can be used four times a day as indicated by the glow of the diamonds on the ring. It can also unlock any door by simply being pressed up against the lock and turning. This ability can be used infinitely. It can also Cast Light, Darkness, Fireball, Frenzy, Calm, or Snowball at the cost of a single charge."**

"Damn!" Xander swore.

"What's it do?" Janna asked.

Once Xander explained the Ring's functions Jonathan whistled. "That's a relic for you. They are items belonging to gods after all."

Xander nodded. It was true. "Thanks Big J."

"**No problem Xan Man," **Janus replied using the old nickname Jesse used to use for him before falling inert signaling the departure of the Ronman deity.

Jonathan turned to Xander. "So what's our first move Padrino?"

Xander stood up prompting the other two to do the same. "We all get a good night's sleep. We've got a 'criminal empire' to build starting tomorrow," Xander looked to Jonathan. "You gonna head home or spend the night here man?"

"I'll stay here, if that's alright. I just let me phone my folks first." The teen requested.

Janna walked off saying, " Of course it's fine Jonathan. I'll just go set up the guest room for you."

"Well things are looking up huh Alpha? Or is it Don now?" Cavall asked having stayed silent while the others were talking about things that didn't really matter to him.

"Just Alpha is fine Cavall." Xander replied scratching the Caypup's ears as he thought. '_My life is not going to get boring anytime soon that's for sure. Vigilante, Don, and RPG character all in one. Heh, what's next I wonder.' _He thought as he looked at the inert and flawless bust.

Xander could've sworn he heard chuckling in the air for just a moment, originating from the statue. "Well that can't be good." Xander muttered to himself. "It's never good when the DM chuckles to themselves like that." Xander got up shaking his head. "Don't think about it, don't think about it." He said to himself like a mantra as he made his way towards his bed.

* * *

**Word Count: 28,415** **Number of Pages: 75** **Date Completed: 1/24/2020**

* * *

**AN: Hello one and all and welcome to chapter two of Followers of the Path. Lots of craziness happened in this chapter and I really enjoyed writing it. I do hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Now over to my friendly neighborhood beta Snowy!**

**GOBLINS GOBLINS EVERYWHERE! Holy fuck that was a lot of goblins. Don't tell a certain slayer wink wink oh boy howdy would he get some ideas. Anyways it seems Xander has tempted fate and now the harem must be fed WAHAHAHAHAH. On a more serious note I personally helped with the bits on jonathan and expanding on the regular goblinoid enemies they will being play their part behind the scenes. Now the only question is how will this ESCALATE!**

**Thank you Snowy as always for leaving our readers wanting more. Speaking of more. You guys and gals are amazing! I mean, forty-two reviews for the first chapter alone? My thanks goes out to each and everyone of you. Till nextime everyone, this has been a Bubbajack and IcySnowSage Production! Peace.**

**PS. I have a Pat-reon. If you care to donate you can find me using the same handle I do on . Bubbajack.**

* * *

**Glossary:**

**CR: Challenge Rating. It shows how difficult a particular opponent is. For example something of CR 1 would need FOUR adventures at level one just to fight it. Spike being CR 12, would need four adventurers at level twelve just to be able to fight him on even terms much less to kill him. Xander was able to get around this, by having some hax skills at his level, plus blessed silver weapons that harm the undead. Plus, Spike isn't known for being all that stealthy. If he was, Xander would already be dead...**

**Relic: A class of magical items belonging to a Deity. They are very powerful as demonstrated above.**

* * *

**Current Levels and Skills:**

**Xander:**

**Level:** 6

**EXP: **18941/24,000

**STR: **14 bonus of +2

**DEX: **12 bonus of +1

**CON:** 12 bonus of +1

**INT:** 12(-2) bonus of 0

**WIS: **16 bonus of +3

**CHA: **15(-2) bonus of +1

**HP:** 143

**Mana:** 158

**Movement Speed:** 12ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 70kg/154lbs

**AC:** 11

**Base Attack Bonus:** +1

**Fortitude Save:** +4+2

**Reflex Save: **+4

**Will Save:** +3+4+1+2

**New Feats:**

**Lv.6 Fighter [1]: Two-weapon Fighting: **Can use a weapon in either hand, **Dodge:** self explanatory. / **Ranger [1]**: **1st Favored Enemy (Evil Outsider):** does bonus damage against evil entities not native to Earth. **Track: **Can track a chosen target, **Wild Empathy:** Can befriend animals - **Bonus Feat: Greater Fortitude: **+2 to Fortitude Saves.

**New Skill increases:**

Search: 13+0(Bonus from INT)= 13

Survival: 9+3(Bonus from Wis): 12

**Janna:**

**Name:** Janna Kalderash

**Race:** Human (Female) Romani Blood

**Level: **10

**EXP: **18,941/22,000

**Class:** Witch (5), Technomancer (6)

**Stats:**

**STR: **13 bonus of +1

**DEX: **13 bonus of +1

**CON:** 11 bonus of 0

**INT:** 18(-2) bonus of +4

**WIS: **12(-2) bonus of +0

**CHA: **12(-2) bonus of +0

**HP:** 127

**Mana:** 153

**Movement Speed: **12 ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 65kg/143lbs

**AC:** 12

**Base Attack Bonus:** +2+3

**Fortitude Save:** +1+2

**Reflex Save: **+1+2

**Will Save:** +4+5

**New Feats: **None

**New Abilities:**

**Unified Energy:** At 6th level, a technomancer can draw power from a technological device in his possession to cast a spell he knows (if a spontaneous caster) or a spell he currently has prepared (if he prepares spells) without expending a spell slot or prepared spell. He consumes 2 charges from the device for each spell level of the spell being cast. In the process of casting the spell, he can apply any of his metamagic feats, using a number of charges appropriate to the increase in spell level, but he cannot exceed the highest effective level of spell he is able to cast. He can use this ability multiple times per day, but never in excess of a number of charges equal to twice his technomancer level (so at 6th level, he can consume no more than 12 charges per day using this ability).

**New Skill increases:**

**Spot: 4+1**

**Listen: 4+1**

**Jonathan:**

**Name:** Johnathan Levinson

**Race:** Human (Male)

**Level: **6

**EXP: **8,941/12,000

**Class:** Cleric (6)

**Domain:** Strength Healing (Resurrection)

**Feats: **Endurance, Diehard,

**Stats:**

**STR: **10 bonus of +0

**DEX: **14 bonus of +2

**CON:** 10 bonus of 0

**INT:** 14(-2) bonus of +2

**WIS: **18(-2) bonus of +4

**CHA: **14(-2) bonus of +2

**HP:** 128

**Mana:** 150

**Movement Speed: **14 ft per sec.

**Carrying Capacity:** 50kg/110lbs

**AC:** 12

**Base Attack Bonus:** +4

**Fortitude Save:** +5

**Reflex Save: **+2

**Will Save:** +9

**Skill upgrades:**

**Knowledge (Religion): 13**

**Knowledge (Arcana): 13+2**

**Knowledge (Planes): 1+2**

**Listen: 5+4**

**Sense Motive: 13+4**

**Spellcraft: 13+2**

**Spot: 5+4**


End file.
